IBM adds four new data centers in UK, triples capacity

IBM has announced to launch four new cloud data centers in the UK to keep pace with growing client demand. With these new data centers, clients will have access to a complete portfolio of IBM cloud services for running their mission critical enterprise workloads and innovations through more than 150 digital services (APIs). The enterprise has provided these digital services via IBM’s development platform Bluemix. It also includes Watson, IBM’s cognitive intelligence technology that allows computers to think and learn like humans, building blocks for innovative Blockchain applications that increase trust in transactions, and enables technologies for Internet of Things (IoT) and analytic applications. “By adding four new Cloud data centers in the UK, IBM is giving local businesses an easy route to the cloud, helping them quickly innovate and respond to market demands,” said Robert LeBlanc, Senior Vice President, IBM Cloud.

“IBM is continuing to invest in high growth areas, offering clients higher-value cloud data services such as Watson and Blockchain running on our cloud infrastructure that delivers world-class scalability, performance and security” he added.

According to IBM, clients choosing IBM Cloud services will benefit from the company’s experience across public, private and hybrid cloud deployments and easy access to cloud innovations on a simple pay-as-you-go model. Clients also benefit from services like load balancing, auto scaling, object storage, bandwidth pooling and Static IPs that are resilient across the cloud data centers in the UK. The company also claims to be the first to offer cloud services to clients in the UK through an existing Cloud data center more than five years ago. IBM Cloud data centers

• Modern Infrastructure: The facilities will offer the users the latest IBM POWER and x86 processors, NVIDIA GPU accelerators, OpenPOWER-based servers, SAP HANA applications and IBM Bluemix development tools.
• Enhanced Network Performance: All IBM Cloud data centers connect to a global backbone network that enables seamless data transfer, lower latency, and more consistent network performance between cloud infrastructure and end users around the world.
• Next-Generation Data Center Capabilities: Clients using these facilities will also have access to IBM Watson, Blockchain, IoT and other leading cloud-based services through more than 150 open APIs. IBM provides a complete stack of cloud services with IaaS, PaaS and SaaS capabilities that can be accessed.

The new UK facilities will enable companies to digitize business and operations and drive innovation through the IBM Cloud. It will also help them to manage and gain insight into their data no matter where it resides. The enterprise has also signed an agreement to lease space within Ark Data Centers in the UK, which will see the second of the four new cloud data centers fully operational in mid-2017. Ark is a joint venture between UK government and public sector. These new facilities has expanded IBM’s cloud data center footprint from two to six in the UK and 16 across Europe as part of IBM’s network of more than 50 data centers worldwide.