Apple is reportedly looking to build yet another data center, this time in Hong Kong. This would be the company's first data center located outside of the United States. It's another indication of Apple's interest in the Asian, and specifically the Chinese, market.
9 to 5 Mac reported that a location has been settled on in the New Territories area of Hong Kong. This area is right across the border from Shenzhen, China, where Foxconn has factories involved in producing Apple products.
The report said that the facility will be a big one, with an anonymous bidding contractor employee stating, "There is simply nothing to compare it to and therefore it is hard to make estimates on size based on the materials required."
Apple has been noticeably interested in the Chinese market recently. It has recently filed applications for new stores in Shenzhen and Chengdu on top of its existing stores in Beijing and Shanghai, as shown on the map above. New features for the Chinese market have also been added to iOS 6, which will be released on Wednesday.
Currently, Apple has data centers in Newark, CA and Maiden, NC, and it is in the process of building two new ones in Prineville, OR and Reno, NV.
Construction on the Hong Kong center is expected to begin in Q1 2013 and be operational by 2015. And 2015 could be a big year for Apple's construction projects, as Apple Campus 2 (a.k.a. the Spaceship) is also scheduled for completion.