IBM announced that it will add four more data centers in the UK to meet its increasing client demand. With this investment, IBM will increase its number of data centers in the UK to six, and its overall presence in Europe to 16. In a press release, IBM has said that this expansion is a part of the long term commitment that it has made to its UK clients.
With this move, IBM joins the ranks of Google and Facebook in investing in the UK. These tech giants feel the need to expand their presence in the UK market, especially after Brexit. Earlier, data centers located elsewhere in Europe was sufficient to cater to the UK market, but all that is likely to change after the UK voted to leave the European Union. This is why IBM and other companies are investing here to ensure that there is no disruption in service for their UK clients.
In many ways, such investments showcase the strength of the UK economy, and the size of its cloud market. According to IBM Europe’s General Manager, Sebastian Krause, a lot of innovation is happening in the UK cloud market, and it’s only right for companies like IBM to support this innovation by providing the right tools, applications, and infrastructure. Further, this move is likely to comply with all rules and regulations pertaining to the presence of data within the country’s borders. Also, it will give UK clients greater control over how they want to manage their data, and leverage the power of cloud for their business.
In addition, the tech scene is UK is unaffected by Brexit, which means, there will be significant opportunities for expanding cloud services. In fact, most tech companies had concluded way back in June, that the UK economy will be strong, regardless of which way voters choose in the Brexit election. This is why they had continued with their expansion plans, and are expected to increase their presence in the near future.
As for IBM, these new data centers would serve some top companies like Thomson, Boots, and Dixon Carphone, National Grid, and the UK government. To give more value to its customers, IBM announced that the new data centers will be infused with cognitive intelligence, so machines can learn and think like humans.
The first of the four data centers will be located in Fareham, and is expected to be operational by the end of this year. Out of the remaining three, another one will also be located in Hampshire, while the location for the remaining two will be revealed next year.
In all, this move augurs well for anyone. For the UK economy, it is expected to create more job opportunities, and also gives small businesses easy access to the cloud. Also, this announcement is likely to support British Prime Minister Theresa May’s efforts to ensure that the UK will be open for business even after Brexit. As for IBM, this presents yet another opportunity to expand its cloud footprint.
The post IBM Expanding its UK Operations appeared first on Cloud News Daily.