The new facility in Hong Kong brings the number of IBM's worldwide Cloud Labs to 10, said the company. IBM Cloud Labs provide a range of services including development of online services that take advantage of the promised economies of scale offered by cloud computing, the firm added.

"We are happy to note that IBM, one of the world-renowned leaders in innovation and computing, is taking the lead in establishing a cloud computing laboratory in Hong Kong," said Stephen Mak, Acting Hong Kong Government Chief Information Officer. "The new IBM laboratory marks a milestone in Hong Kong's information technology industry as it has the potential to help businesses jump-start their cloud computing projects and enhance their computing capabilities to compete in the global marketplace."

Strategically located near emerging growth markets, IBM intends to increase its investment in this center to take advantage of the global opportunity for online web 2.0 collaboration, said Big Blue.