Microsoft is exploring the idea that data centres can be based on the sea floor. An eco-friendly data centre has been lowered into the sea around the Orkney Islands and this will remain there for up to five years without maintenance. This shipping-container-sized prototype is as powerful as several thousand high-end consumer PCs, yet is naturally cooled and uses renewable energy from tidal turbines and wave energy converters, which generate electricity from the movement of the sea.

Microsoft states that “almost half of the world’s population lives near large bodies of water. Having data centres closer to billions of people using the internet will ensure faster and smoother web browsing, video streaming and gaming, while businesses can enjoy AI-driven technologies.”