Microsofts first Wisconsin data center facility is moving closer to full operations.The company tells NBC 26 it has started bringing equipment online and conducting startup activities at the first facility, including limited ope rations, in recent weeks.Microsoft says those activities are expected to continue in the weeks ahead as the company works with local partners to enable full operations.The update marks a new phase for one of Wisconsins largest technology and construction projects. After months of construction, the first facility is now transitioning from buildout to operation.Microsoft says it has already hired about 375 people for full-time positions, with another 125 expected for the first data center. The company expects that number to grow to about 800 once the second data center is complete.That second facility is currently under construction.Microsoft says it generally employs about 50 full-time staff and vendors per building. The company says that means expansion parcels to the north could eventually represent hundreds of additional jobs.According to sources, the project is part of a larger push to expand data center capacity as demand grows for cloud computing and artificial intelligence infrastructure.Data centers support the servers and equipment used to power digital services, cloud storage and AI tools. They can also bring major construction activity and long term jobs, while raising questions about energy demand and infrastructure needs.Microsoft has not yet announced an exact date for full operations at the first facility. ...read more read less