IBM to invest $3 billion in cloud computing, Big Data research

IBM is investing $3 billion in two broad research and early stage development programmes to push the limits of chip technology needed to meet the emerging demands of cloud computing and Big Data systems.

The first research programme is aimed at so-called “7 nanometer and beyond” silicon technology that will address serious physical challenges that are threatening current semiconductor scaling techniques and will impede the ability to manufacture such chips.

The second is focused on developing alternative technologies for post-silicon era chips using entirely different approaches, which IBM scientists and other experts say are required because of the physical limitations of silicon based semiconductors.

“The question is not if we will introduce 7 nanometer technology into manufacturing, but rather how, when, and at what cost?” said John Kelly, senior vice president, IBM Research. “IBM engineers and scientists, along with our partners, are well suited for this challenge and are already working on the materials science and device engineering required to meet the demands of the emerging system requirements for cloud, big data, and cognitive systems.”

“This new investment will ensure that we produce the necessary innovations to meet these challenges.”

Cloud and big data applications are placing new challenges on systems, just as the underlying chip technology is facing numerous significant physical scaling limits. Bandwidth to memory, high speed communication and device power consumption are becoming increasingly challenging and critical.

IBM holds over 500 patents for technologies that will drive advancements at 7nm and beyond silicon – more than twice the nearest competitor. These continued investments will accelerate the invention and introduction into product development for IBM’s differentiated computing systems for cloud, and big data analytics, IBM said.

“In the next ten years computing hardware systems will be fundamentally different as our scientists and engineers push the limits of semiconductor innovations to explore the post-silicon future,” said Tom Rosamilia, senior vice president, IBM Systems and Technology Group. “IBM Research and Development teams are creating breakthrough innovations that will fuel the next era of computing systems.”