We all know that Apple is planning to flip the switch on an expansive new data center in Maiden, North Carolina any day -- and thankfully, a local Fox affiliate has done some digging to find out what exactly it might mean for area residents as well as the rest of us.
9to5Mac is reporting that Charlotte, North Carolina Fox affiliate WCCB-TV recently did a report on the new Apple data center that’s planning to open any day now. While Apple hasn’t said much about the property other than it would host “iTunes services,” analysts are now claiming that Cupertino may have bigger plans.
“The town of Maiden could be ground zero for what one analyst calls Apple’s assault on the living room,” the reporter says, referring to a recent report that Apple may be planning to use the massive data center to challenge the domination of Netflix in the world of streaming video.
“We believe Apple is about to launch a new video-focused, cloud-based service,” analyst Peter Misek of Jefferies and Co. announced this month. A good deal of the analyst’s claims hinges on aerial footage of the data center property in North Carolina, which some believe is much larger than necessary to stream music or even host MobileMe services, and that video is Apple’s key target.
The report gets a few quick peeks at the outside of the data center from the ground, and makes a fascinating viewing for anyone interested in Apple’s future plans.
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(Image and video courtesy of 9to5Mac and WCCB-TV)
