IBM Launches Cloud Data Center in South Africa

IBM has expanded its cloud data center infrastructure to South Africa. The company announced the launch of a new IBM Cloud site in Johannesburg Tuesday.

The company has been investing in expanding its global cloud data center footprint in recent years as it competes with cloud services giants like Amazon and Microsoft. IBM’s cloud data center network now consists of close to 50 sites around the world.

It has partnered with African mobile and fixed-line operator Vodacom and IT services firm Gijima Group on the launch. Using Vodacom’s data center infrastructure, the companies will resell IBM’s cloud managed services in South Africa and other countries on the continent.

The move extends the reach of SAP’s enterprise software services delivered on IBM’s cloud infrastructure to South Africa. IBM became a cloud infrastructure provider for SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud in 2014.

Gijima has been providing services around SAP products in the region already and now will resell IBM’s cloud managed services to the existing SAP customer base there. Vodacom will resell the services as well.