IBM Establishes First Cloud Computing Laboratory in Hong Kong
ARMONK, N.Y. and HONG KONG, Apr. 16 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
Closes Outblaze Ltd. Asset Acquisition to deliver Secure Web Mail on
LotusLive.com
IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it is establishing the first IBM cloud
computing laboratory in Hong Kong. The new facility will provide a global hub
for Web-based messaging services to support IBM's emerging LotusLive
(www.lotuslive.com/) cloud service portfolio, which offers affordable,
company-to-company social networking and online collaboration tools.
IBM also announced the closing of the acquisition of Outblaze Limited's
messaging assets. Privately-held Outblaze operates one of the largest online
service platforms for the provision of secure, private-label email, collaboration
and social media services to other service providers, telecommunications
operators, corporations, academia, media and publishing companies. Terms of the
agreement were not disclosed.
With more than 10 years of experience delivering messaging solutions,
Outblaze was one of the first companies to offer a fully-hosted, multilingual
e-mail service. Today Outblaze offers services in 22 languages and has more than
40 million users under management. While Outblaze has customers and employees
worldwide, it brings unique experience serving high-growth Asian markets
including China, India, and Singapore.
LotusLive.com is designed to help businesses work smarter by forming virtual
communities in the cloud, connecting colleagues, partners, suppliers and
customers from within and beyond their own firewalls. The Outblaze asset
purchase adds Web-based email to IBM's expanding portfolio of online
collaboration tools. Subscribers will be able to instantly provision email
accounts and users can access their e-mail from any computer through any Web
browser.
The new lab will be located in Hong Kong’s Cyberport complex, an information
technology center developed to foster innovation within the Asia-Pacific region.
"We are happy to note that IBM, one of the world-renowned leaders in
innovation and computing, is taking the lead in establishing a cloud computing
laboratory in Hong Kong," said Jeremy Godfrey, Hong Kong Government Chief
Information Officer. "The new IBM laboratory marks a milestone in Hong Kong's
information technology industry as it has the potential to help businesses jump-
start their cloud computing projects and enhance their computing capabilities to
compete in the global marketplace."
Strategically located near emerging growth markets, IBM intends to increase
its investment in this center to take advantage of the global opportunity for
online web 2.0 collaboration. The new facility brings the number of IBM's
worldwide Cloud Labs to 10. IBM Cloud Labs provide a range of services including
development of online services that take advantage of the promised economies of
scale offered by cloud computing.
"IBM is focused on helping businesses, large and small, work smarter to drive
innovation up and costs down and this new cloud lab will reinforce that," said
Bob Picciano, general manager, IBM Lotus Software. "LotusLive.com will soon
include the most secure, scalable, business-ready Web mail in the industry as
part of a full-service collaboration suite to help simplify and improve the way
organizations work with their customers and partners." Businesses of all
sizes will be able to use IBM as the provider for their full range of email
needs, whether on-premise or hosted, from casual to intense usage. Business
partners such as telecommunications operators and Internet service providers will
be able to package and sell collaborative services to their clients under their
own brands.
Contact: Mike Azzi
914-766-1561
azzi@us.ibm.com
SOURCE: IBM
CONTACT: Mike Azzi
+1-914-766-1561
azzi@us.ibm.com
(IBM)
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