Top Microsoft Data Center Architect Leaves CompanyTop Microsoft Data Center Architect Leaves Company

One of the principal engineers of Microsoft's mega data centers is leaving the company. Mike Manos, general manager of data center services in Microsoft's global foundation services arm, is becoming senior VP of technical services at Digital Realty Trust, a data center builder, outsourcer, and design consultancy.

Manos has been instrumental in managing Microsoft's construction of massive data centers built to handle the flood of visitors and users of Microsoft's Web sites and Web applications, pushing designs that are efficient and scalable. For example, he has been an advocate of modular data centers powered by servers housed in shipping containers.

Within the last year Manos had taken on a more public role, holding numerous talks about Microsoft's data center strategy. He's also an outspoken champion of better industry standards and recently unveiled Microsoft's next data center design, which will be roofless.

Manos' departure comes at a time when Microsoft is decelerating the pace of its data center build-out. In January, the company announced that it would indefinitely delay the construction of a proposed $550 million data center in Des Moines, Iowa. With so much being spent on data centers in the last few years, Microsoft's online services division has remained a losing operation.

Meanwhile, Digital Realty Trust is experiencing something of a boom, with revenue up 38% year over year. In the last quarter, Digital Realty Trust signed up nearly the equivalent of one Microsoft mega data center's worth of customers, with 276,000 square feet of new leases from companies like Cigna and IBM.

At Digital Realty Trust, Manos will maintain some of the same responsibility he had with Microsoft as the executive in charge of the company's data center design and construction. He'll also lead the company into new professional services, according to a press release by Digital Realty Trust.

In leaving Microsoft, Manos joins James Hamilton, another data center expert and former Microsoft distinguished engineer, who departed in December for Amazon.com.

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