State-of-the-Art IBM Data Centre In Auckland

New Multi-Million Dollar State-of-the-Art IBM Data Centre
Breaks Ground in New Zealand

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – 10 Dec 2009 - IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that
construction has commenced on a state-of-the-art IBM Reliability Level 3+
data centre in Auckland, New Zealand which is being built to support
clients’ mission critical applications and operations. The announcement
marks the beginning of a more than NZD $80 million investment in the data
centre over the next decade.

Working in collaboration with New Zealand developer Highbrook Development
Limited through a long term leasing and operating commitment, IBM will
locate the data centre at Highbrook Business Park in East Tamaki. The
5,200 square metre facility, built to IBM global specifications, will
include a 1,500 square metre data centre and is expected to become fully
operational by late 2010. Expansion options allow for further stages to be
developed as demand rises.

IBM’s new state-of-the-art facility will be the only commercially available
data centre of its calibre in New Zealand. The data centre will be cloud
computing enabled, highly resilient and have the environmental protection
advantages of IBM's industry-leading data centre design characterised by
energy efficiency, green technologies, scalability and the latest power and
cooling technologies. For instance, the data centre will include a
cooling system which, during cold months, will leverage outside air,
reducing the need for chillers.

“This is a highly significant investment in New Zealand’s future
technological infrastructure,” said Jennifer Moxon, Managing Director of
IBM New Zealand. “It is the result of long term strategic planning and
signals IBM’s commitment to enable New Zealand to become a world class
technology centre and advances the growth of the digital economy.”

Offering innovative and advanced enterprise wide strategic outsourcing
solutions, the state-of-the-art data centre will also include new
technologies and services that will enable IBM to deliver cloud computing
capabilities to New Zealand clients. Cloud computing uses advanced
technologies and global delivery mechanisms to enable individuals to access
information and services from any device with extremely high levels of
availability and quality of experience.

"On completion, IBM's new data centre will not only give New Zealand
businesses access to world class computing facilities, but provide a
platform to enable New Zealand to become an internationally recognised
provider of outsourcing services," said Matt Oostveen, Datacentre Research
Manager, IDC Australia and New Zealand. "Highly reliable and resilient data
centres are an important feature in a modern business environment, and IDC
expects to see growth in IT services that will directly benefit the local
economy as a result of this investment."

"IBM’s new facility is core infrastructure for the 21st century digital
economy that the Government and ICT industry are mutually striving to
develop,” said Brett O'Riley, Chief Executive Officer, NZICT Group. “It
heralds the explosion of software as a service and cloud enabled computing
which will drive a step change in productivity and innovation, while its
design establishes the benchmark for green ICT in this country."
ends

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