IBM to set up cloud datacentre in South Korea by 2015
According to sources familiar with the matter, IBM has drawn a plan to build a cloud datacentre in South Korea that will be started and finished within the first half of 2015.
The CEO of IBM's cloud service subsidiary SoftLayer recently visited South Korea and informed of the impending plan to those in Big Blue's Korean office, they said.
The move follows a similar one by rival Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is also planning to use pre-existing local servers to provide cloud services there.
AWS already provides cloud services for local conglomerates such as Samsung and Hyundai for their businesses abroad.
IBM announced earlier this year that it plans to invest $1.2 billion to build 15 new datacentres across the globe. South Korea was not included on the list of countries, but its adjusted plan for next year adds the country, sources said.
The company's Korean office is being restructured to focus on cloud-centred businesses, and will likely try to lure financial clients in changing to SoftLayer's cloud services.
IBM may build the datacentre themselves or borrow existing infrastructure to set it up, it said.
Company spokespeople were unavailable for comment.
Source: ZDNet Korea (zdnet.co.kr)