Apple's data-center empire has yet expand oversees, but it seems this is about to change.
Citing three unnamed sources, the Chinese-language Hong Kong Economic Times reports that Apple is planning to open a data center in Hong Kong, following in the footsteps of Google, its biggest rival.
This would be Apple's first data center outside the U.S. Currently, the company serves up iCloud and other online services from massive computing facilities in Cupertino, California, at its headquarters; Newark, California, just north of Cupertino; and Maiden, North Carolina. It's also developing additional facilities in Prineville, Oregon, and Reno, Nevada.
Apple is just one of several big-name web outfits that have erected their own data centers in an effort to save power and cost, rather than just leasing space in third-party facilities. Google was at the forefront of this movement -- it now operates nine data centers across the globe -- and it was soon joined by the likes of Microsoft, Yahoo, and Facebook.
According to the Hong Kong Ecocomic Times, Apple is an eyeing a place at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, located on the Tsueng Kwan O Industrial Estate in the southeast part of the city. Several others companies -- including Japanese telecom giant NTT and Hong Kong bank HSBC -- already operate data centers there.
Apple news site 9to5Mac has previously reported that Apple plans to begin work on its Hong Kong data center in the first quarter of next year, and that it plans to open the facility in 2015. China represents Apple's fastest growing market, and having it local data center would allow the company to accelerate the delivery of online services to the region.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
