Microsoft unveiled an enhanced Virtual Datacentre Tour on May 7th, 2025, featuring an integrated virtual assistant powered by Azure OpenAI Service to guide visitors through the infrastructure supporting over 60 datacentre regions and 300 plus datacentres globally. Vice President Omar Khan announced the immersive 3-dimensional self-guided virtual journey enables customers to interact with Microsoft's datacentres firsthand while exploring design, build, and operations requirements.
The virtual assistant provides real-time support during tours, answering datacentre-specific questions and offering detailed insights about operations including Microsoft Cloud infrastructure sustainability practices, air cooling technologies, datacentre security, resiliency capabilities, and global datacentre reach. The enhanced microsite addresses security, safety, and staffing constraints that prevent physical datacentre visits for all customers.
The tour features an innovation room showcasing Microsoft's zero-water cooling datacentre design, which eliminates water use in datacentre cooling through advanced technologies, and Majorana 1, described as the world's first quantum chip powered by a topological core. The server room highlights Azure Cobalt, Microsoft's in-house CPU powering general compute offerings, and Azure Maia, the company's custom AI accelerator optimised for AI workloads.
Microsoft's datacentre hot aisle design optimises cooling efficiency by isolating hot air from servers into a dedicated aisle at over 100 degrees, ensuring peak performance and energy savings through consistent temperature management, boosted cooling efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and cut operational costs. The mechanical area showcases Microsoft-designed datacentre power and cooling technologies with electrical equipment including batteries and backup generators.
For each megawatt of datacentre capacity, Microsoft maintains just over one megawatt of battery backup and generator backup to ensure service continuity and operational reliability. The company's long-term goal involves using more low-carbon fuels, batteries, or hydrogen fuel cells for backup generators.
The tour demonstrates Microsoft's extensive network of secure datacentres across dozens of countries ensuring services remain close to customer access points, with continued footprint expansion to meet customer demand. Adiabatic cooling uses water evaporation rather than mechanical air conditioning, while free air cooling leverages natural weather elements for temperature control, both methods significantly reducing water and power usage compared to traditional cooling systems.
Microsoft positions the enhanced virtual experience as demonstrating commitment to enabling advanced workloads and future innovations through cutting-edge AI technology and updated design capabilities. The tour provides accessible insight into infrastructure supporting critical and advanced workloads including AI and quantum computing while showcasing the company's position at the forefront of cloud computing's future. Industry partnerships with NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel ensure diverse hardware availability delivering optimal performance, efficiency, and cost combinations.