Microsoft and the state of Iowa have announced the location of the newest Microsoft data center, in West Des Moines, Iowa.  Located “southwest of the intersection of Booneville Road and South 88^th Street (also known as Xavier Place)” (see map), the data center will be focused on online services:

The data center, described as the place “where the internet lives,” is expected to house large-scale, worldwide Web services for Microsoft's online services business. With the growth of audio and video applications, social Web sites, mobile devices and other Internet demands, data centers are becoming increasingly important as companies strive to increase online computing support centers to provide users with enhanced Web services.

(click on the image to go to Live Search Maps – the marked area is an approximation of the 42 acre size of the property)

While Microsoft couldn’t quite knock Iowan Shawn Johnson off the front page of the Des Moines Register, it’s still big news.  The Register reported:

The "next generation" data center will employ 50-75 workers who will earn about $70,000 annually, said Michael Manos, Microsoft¹s general manager of data center services. The project will be located on 42 acres southwest of the Booneville Road at the intersection of Xavier Road.

…(Iowa Governor Chet) Culver called it the most "modern facility in the world" with its focus on energy efficiency.

We’re checking now on whether or not that means the new data center will use Microsoft’s container system.

(Update:) We now have this confirmed that the Iowa facility will use container technology.