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IBM Buys Schlumberger Centers

Carrier Hotels Staff Posted Apr 14, 2004

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IBM says it has bought Schlumberger's business continuity unit in a transaction that will add 40 data centers to its portfolio of facilities.

The expansion by IBM, which already operates about 120 data centers around the world, is the latest sign of growing demand for mission-critical facilities. IBM's facilities needs are driven not only by a growing customer base but its drive towards "utility computing" in which packaged information technology services will be metered and delivered to customers much like electricity, gas and water.

Just last month, Big Blue announced plans to upgrade the infrastructure at 32 of its high-end data centers worldwide with sophisticated software to enable its utility computing initiatives.

Financial terms of the IBM-Schlumberger deal were not made public, but Big Blue officials did report that they expect the acquisition to close in the second quarter.