Apple Data Centre generates fresh rumours

 Apple‘s data center in Catawba County, North Carolina, is up and running. Question is, what is the vast site for? Initially, speculation was the facility was to provide  iTunes and MobileMe Services. However, now that the site has been opened to journalists, the actual scale of the place (500,000 square foot) has led some to suggest that Apple may be about to compete with the likes of Netflix and offer streaming of video services.

Partly what is fuelling the rumours is not only the size of the existing facility but also the fact that the actual site itself is much bigger. In addition, Apple owns additional land in the same area and the local Catawba County Economic Development Corporation is talking up the possibilities.

Could these rumours add substance to rumours of an Apple TV (an actual television with Apple branding and connection to the web rather the current box with the similar name)? Who knows but I guess anything is possible. After all, with the iPod, the iPhone and lately the iPad, Apple has certainly got a track record of revolutionising markets, so why not that of online streaming of video?

Netflix must be worried (and so too Lovefilm here in the UK).