Overview
- Satya Nadella announced Azure has brought up an NVL72 rack for validation, marking an operational milestone for next‑generation AI infrastructure.
- The NVL72 integrates 72 Rubin GPUs and 36 Arm-based Vera CPUs over sixth‑generation NVLink at 260 TB/s, delivering up to 3.6 exaflops per rack—about five times GB200-based systems.
- Microsoft’s Rani Borkar said Azure facilities, including sites in Wisconsin and Atlanta, were built for the NVL72’s power density and direct‑to‑chip liquid cooling, enabling immediate integration.
- Industry reports say AWS, Google, CoreWeave, Nebius, and Oracle plan Vera Rubin deployments largely in the second half of 2026.
- Bernstein analysts frame Microsoft’s first‑to‑validate position as a competitive signal, as a BlackRock‑led group backed by Microsoft and NVIDIA moves to buy Aligned Data Centers in a roughly $40 billion capacity push.