Cary, N.C. — SAS, the world’s largest privately held software company, is preparing to build a $70 million data facility at its headquarters campus.

The facility is intended to help SAS capitalize on the exploding global market for “cloud computing” services and its “On Demand” SAS solutions.

SAS said the center will also boost its own data infrastructure. The project will mean new jobs at SAS, but how many is not yet known.

“We’ll be adding jobs as the need for hosting solutions grows,” a company spokeswoman told WRAL.com. “We can’t quantify a number right now.”

SAS estimates that the 38,000-square-foot project will create 1,000 construction jobs.

The data center and related cloud services will be an extension of SAS’ current IT unit and will not lead to the creation of a new business unit, the spokeswoman said.

“We already have a large data operation,” she said. “This is adding more capacity.”

Cloud computing enables customers to utilize multiple central servers for computation and services delivery, with access provided over the Internet.

“Through the new facility, SAS will offer our customers complex business solutions,” SAS said in a statement. “With SAS hosting and managing applications via the cloud computing facility, customers can quickly and cost-effectively solve business problems. Through the proven power and reliability of SAS, pharmaceutical companies can improve the development of new drugs, for example, while telecommunications companies can enhance marketing campaigns.”