IBM plans cloud computing services for 2009

By Jim Finkle

BOSTON (Reuters) - International Business Machines Corp plans to launch cloud computing services this year, taking on companies such as Amazon.com Inc, Microsoft Corp and Google Inc.

Company spokeswoman Kelly Sims said on Thursday the first of these new services will enable developers to write software that works with the emerging new technology.

Cloud computing systems run software and store information in remote, large-scale data centers that users and programmers access over the Internet.

In addition to the service for developers, the company also plans to introduce clouds that allow businesses to run business applications and virtualize personal computer networks, Sims said.

Much of the technology was developed using know-how that IBM developed through a partnership with Google to develop cloud services for academic computing that dates back to 2007, she said.

"IBM is applying those skills for the commercial offerings that will be launched in 2009," she said.

The company got its feet wet in the field last year when it launched an Internet-based data backup and recovery service.