The prison across from the Microsoft center closed in 2012. Now the building is a data center for the Department of Homeland Security, operated by a small crew from Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Not to be outdone, Virginia passed laws in 2009 and 2010 that exempted sales taxes on things like data center computer servers, software, power generators and chillers to cool all that equipment. PhotoMicrosoft did not dispute reports that it would spend $1.1 billion on the Boydton data center, and said that “on average, data centers employ tens to several dozen people,” in a mixture of corporate and contracted positions. Working as a security guard or as someone testing the wires inside the data center offers better money, but there are not many positions.

Source: New York Times August 26, 2016 15:19 UTC