Deutsche Boerse to launch cloud computing exchange

Deutsche Boerse, operator of the Frankfurt stock exchange, unveiled Tuesday plans to launch a new market place where companies, public sector bodies and research institutes can buy and sell excess cloud computing capacity.

The Deutsche Boerse Cloud Exchange will be a joint venture between Deutsche Boerse and Berlin-based cloud management specialist Zimory and will be operational from the start of next year, the two partners said in separate statements.

It will "enable IT resources to be traded like securities and energy, electronically, and within seconds.

"The new company aims to launch initially a cloud computing spot market in the first quarter 2014," Zimory said.

"Deutsche Boerse Cloud Exchange will fundamentally change how cloud computing resources are bought and sold," said Zimory chief executive Ruediger Baumann.

"The time when contract negotiations took months will be over for most businesses."

"With its great expertise in operating markets, Deutsche Boerse is making it possible for the first time to standardise and trade fully electronically IT capacity in the same way as securities, energy and commodities," said board member Michael Osterloh.

© 2013 AFP