Apple’s humongous new data center in Raleigh, North Carolina, "is a 21st-century broadcasting system to rival the TV networks of old, says a leading expert in cloud computing," Nick Carr, author of the “ The Big Switch” a bestseller about the cloud, tells "Cult of Mac" (http://www.cultofmac.com/apples-data-center-is-21st-century-broadcasting...).

The new Apple data center in Maiden, North Carolina is expected to begin operations “any day now,” according to local officials. Even as Apple begins to ramp up production at the 500,000 square foot data center, there are rumors circulating that Apple may be planning to build a second 500,000 square foot facility on the site, the article adds. The facility -- not counting the rumored expansions -- is expected to employ at least 50 full-time employees.

Carr says Apple’s North Carolina facility is a “broadcasting system” not unlike NBC or CBS, but one that distributes software as well as media. The data center can be seen as essentially a broadcasting system that will enable Apple to make the shift from a downloading model of media distribution to a streaming model.

"It’s a proprietary broadcasting system (not altogether unlike traditional broadcasting systems), which means it’s a very different model of the cloud from the open model promoted by Google," Carr tells "Cult of Mac."

At 500,000 square feet, Apple’s $1 billion data center will be among the largest in the world, the article adds. The unusual size of the data center suggests that Apple has ambitious plans for cloud computing, though Apple hasn't said what it will be used for.

"Cult of Mac" notes that it’s assumed it will be used to stream music and movies from iTunes. Reports suggest the company is going to build a big office complex next door and is “going after the cable market.”

But it goes deeper than that, says Carr. The facility will help transition Apple from a download model of computing to a streaming model of computing. Read the complete "Cult of Mac" article for details.