Last Friday Business Week reported about Microsoft plans to build up to 20 state-of-the-art data centers as it tries to keep pace with one of it’s chief cloud computing rivals Google. These super data centers are no small deal with an average cost per center running an estimated $1 billion.

This major move to build super data centers by Microsoft are part of what they describe as the biggest strategic shift since the mid-1990s. They have also unveiled a slew of offerings in recent weeks that embrace cloud computing. There’s Azure, a new operating system that lets companies run software either on their own computers or as a service delivered via the Internet by Microsoft. There’s a new Windows Live offering that lets consumers store, retrieve, and share photos, blogs, and other Web content with friends. And Microsoft has announced an Internet version of its Exchange corporate e-mail, and plans to do the same with its Office software.