Along side the launch of SQL Server 2014 at a customer event Tuesday Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella outlined the company’s path to deliver a platform for ambient intelligence.

Microsoft wants to use its data centers to help transform the way electricity is delivered in the United States. That process will focus on San Antonio, TX, where the company has confirmed plans to build a new $250 million data center.

Unlocking performance gains for MS-SQL, Fusion-io announced that the ioMemory platform has been optimized for performance with SQL Server 2014.

Cloud infrastructure has been well tested for enterprise workloads. But can it handle the demands of gamers, who are ultra-sensitive to network lag? Behold Titanfall, running on the Microsoft Windows Azure cloud.

Microsoft is seeking tax breaks for a planned $250 million investment in San Antonio, Texas. The company already has a 470,000 square foot facility there.

Microsoft has expanded Windows Azure to Japan. Japan East (Saitama Prefecture) and Japan West (Osaka Prefecture) went live this week.

Level 3 Communications (LVLT) announced a strategic relationship with Microsoft (MSFT) to deliver private, direct network connections to Microsoft Windows Azure as part of the Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions partner ecosystem.

As it joins the Open Compute Project, Microsoft can now show the world the custom server and storage designs that power its global armada of more than 1 million servers. Here's a closer look.

In a dramatic move that illustrates how cloud computing has altered the data center landscape, Microsoft is opening up the server and rack designs that power its vast online platforms and sharing them with the world.