Information technology news website CNET said a large, floating structure that was built on the San Francisco bay near Treasure Island was a Google Inc data center. Further investigation of the tech news website led them to locate links to a Google project through multiple individuals and experts. Moreover, a 2009 Google patent for a floating data center had strengthened the belief that the structure was indeed a data center.

The patent read, "It can be beneficial to distribute computing power closer to users. As such, data centres may be moved closer to users, with relevant content sent from a central facility out to regional data centres only once, and further transmissions occurring over shorter regional links."

Google has not spared a cent in improving its Internet infrastructure. In the third quarter of this year, the search giant recorded a whopping USD2.29 billion in capital spending. Google spent most in expanding its data centers in Oregon, North Carolina and South Carolina. The company also recently acquired a former gatorade factory for its future data center expansion Oklahoma. The property measured 1 million in square feet. Its recent expenditures for the third quarter brought Google's total capital investment in infrastructure at over USD23 billion.