Apple may double North Carolina data center to 1M square feet
While the exact purpose of Apple's 500,000-square-foot data center in North Carolina remains unknown, a new rumor says the company is already considering expanding the server space to a million square feet.
Citing anonymous sources at Apple, John Paczkowski of Digital Daily reported Friday that Apple is currently eyeing a major expansion to its server farm in Maiden, N.C. The report stressed that Apple is currently considering the expansion, suggesting it may not come to fruition.
Apple first announced the location of its secretive massive data center in July 2009. The company has has hired staff for the $1 billion facility, but its exact purpose remains unknown.
Paczkowski speculated that the massive server farm could be a central component of Apple's business strategy going forward, as evidenced by the release of the new MacBook Airs on Wednesday. Chief Executive Steve Jobs indicated the new notebooks are the "future" of the entire MacBook line, as the new lightweight MacBook Air models sport only flash memory inside, with no spinning hard drives.
On the low end, the entry-level 11.6-inch model has just 64GB of internal flash memory for $999. If Apple's data center were to offer cloud-based iTunes, or expand MobileMe's iDisk or Gallery services, the report speculated, "even the 64GB Air might seem like an attractive option to the high-end user."
"Saving to disk is slowly becoming a fixture of the past and, as Apple's recently rejiggered Apple TV business model demonstrates, streaming is the future," the report said. "Which makes perfect sense, when you think of the MacBook Air as the future of the notebook."
Even if doubling the size of the server farm also doubles its $1 billion total cost, it would be an easy investment for Apple, which recently revealed it has $51 billion in cash and investments. This week, Jobs said his company plans to use its war chest for big moves, including major acquisitions, but not "stupid" ones.
Citing anonymous sources at Apple, John Paczkowski of Digital Daily reported Friday that Apple is currently eyeing a major expansion to its server farm in Maiden, N.C. The report stressed that Apple is currently considering the expansion, suggesting it may not come to fruition.
Apple first announced the location of its secretive massive data center in July 2009. The company has has hired staff for the $1 billion facility, but its exact purpose remains unknown.
Paczkowski speculated that the massive server farm could be a central component of Apple's business strategy going forward, as evidenced by the release of the new MacBook Airs on Wednesday. Chief Executive Steve Jobs indicated the new notebooks are the "future" of the entire MacBook line, as the new lightweight MacBook Air models sport only flash memory inside, with no spinning hard drives.
On the low end, the entry-level 11.6-inch model has just 64GB of internal flash memory for $999. If Apple's data center were to offer cloud-based iTunes, or expand MobileMe's iDisk or Gallery services, the report speculated, "even the 64GB Air might seem like an attractive option to the high-end user."
"Saving to disk is slowly becoming a fixture of the past and, as Apple's recently rejiggered Apple TV business model demonstrates, streaming is the future," the report said. "Which makes perfect sense, when you think of the MacBook Air as the future of the notebook."
Even if doubling the size of the server farm also doubles its $1 billion total cost, it would be an easy investment for Apple, which recently revealed it has $51 billion in cash and investments. This week, Jobs said his company plans to use its war chest for big moves, including major acquisitions, but not "stupid" ones.
Comments
While the exact purpose of Apple's 500,000-square-foot data center in North Carolina remains unknown, a new rumor says the company is already considering expanding the server space to a million square feet.
Citing anonymous sources at Apple, John Paczkowski of
My guess: App stores.
My guess: App stores.
It would take a lot of apps to require such a huge data farm...
This will be for cloud storage.
My guess: App stores.
Yep, for all those shelves they'll need for the boxes. Just kidding ... I know you mean servers.
At least this thing is in the US and not outsourced to another country.
It would be really nice if some part of Apple's manufacturing were to come back to the US wouldn't it.
It would be really nice if some part of Apple's manufacturing were to come back to the US wouldn't it.
yes, it would give us nice warm fuzzies... until we see the price of Apple products quadruple.
It would be really nice if some part of Apple's manufacturing were to come back to the US wouldn't it.
this may happen IF/WHEN the manufacturing can be done start to finish via robotics. there's no way apple is going to pay Joe the high school dropout his $30/hour union wage to do the same thing a Chinese worker will do for $30/week. at that point, Apple would be laying of 40,000 overseas to hire 40 in the states.
APPLE TELECOMM.
yes, it would give us nice warm fuzzies... until we see the price of Apple products quadruple.
It might not be as bad as you think with SJ and his team designing the production facility from the ground up. Apple always learn as they go and they must have learned a lot about fabrication and production these last few years. Sadly all they have done thus far is teach the Chinese manufacturers these new techniques. I see no reason why certain production lines could not be almost totally automated and run here in the US. I am not saying this employs as many people but it certainly would result in many jobs that wouldn't exist otherwise. Anyway here's hoping!
It would be really nice if some part of Apple's manufacturing were to come back to the US wouldn't it.
They could start digging for their own rare earths, since china seems to hold them back.
$600,000,000 for a fistful of nothing.
lets call it what it is.
APPLE TELECOMM.
Apple Total Telecommunications. ATT ?
lets call it what it is.
APPLE TELECOMM.
haha. they are building a data center on the east coast... not setting up cell towers around the world.
way to think big though... I suppose they could just buy AT&T
Apple should start planning one in East Texas and then can it based on the legal extortion that goes on there.
$600,000,000 for a fistful of nothing.
They should at least by a court house and judge there
haha. they are building a data center on the east coast... not setting up cell towers around the world.
way to think big though... I suppose they could just buy AT&T
Apple think outside the box, it will be run using the Moon as a base
At least this thing is in the US and not outsourced to another country.
It would be really nice if some part of Apple's manufacturing were to come back to the US wouldn't it.
Apple always learn as they go and they must have learned a lot about fabrication and production these last few years.
Yeah, and they have learned that outsourcing it all to China is a much more effective use of resources.
it certainly would result in many jobs that wouldn't exist otherwise.
It already does.
You ought to read the book "The Choice", it might be rather enlightening.