BANGALORE: Intel Corp. has said that its first data centre providing Internet hosting services for corporate customers is up and running. It also announced partnerships as part of its new foray into the fast-growing Web hosting business.
Intel is investing over $1 billion to set up data centres around the world to establish its new Internet services hosting business, called Intel Online Services. Intel first opened a development facility in California to perform initial stress testing on its server configurations to test that they can handle additional users. The facilities have 24-hour security and barbed-wire fencing surrounding back-up power generators.
Intel said that its first data centre customers include the e-Citi unit of financial services titan
Citigroup, Internet media company ExciteAtHome Corp.'s Shopping Service, and Japanese electronics group NEC Corp. As part of its new focus on becoming a supplier to different parts of the Internet economy, Intel announced in April that it would build several data centres so that small and medium-sized companies could easily set up electronic commerce activities over the Internet.