IBM says cloud business enjoying ‘breakthrough year’

By Eric Auchard LONDON (Reuters) – IBM aims to expand the number of data centers it offers clients around the world by 25 percent to meet fast-rising demand for internet-based services, after what a company executive said has been a “breakthrough year” in 2014 for its cloud computing business. IBM has quadrupled the number of cloud data facilities it offers around the world to 49 in the past 18 months, responding in part to laws requiring the local retention of data following revelations over U.S. government Web surveillance as well as increased corporate compliance rules

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IBM says cloud business enjoying ‘breakthrough year’

By Eric Auchard LONDON (Reuters) – IBM aims to expand the number of data centers it offers clients around the world by 25 percent to meet fast-rising demand for internet-based services, after what a company executive said has been a “breakthrough year” in 2014 for its cloud computing business. IBM has quadrupled the number of cloud data facilities it offers around the world to 49 in the past 18 months, responding in part to laws requiring the local retention of data following revelations over U.S. government Web surveillance as well as increased corporate compliance rules

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U.S. startup sues France’s Orange over social calling app

(Reuters) – French telecom group Orange SA confirmed on Wednesday that it has been sued in California by San Francisco-based startup Telesocial in an intellectual property case, but said that the startup’s claims were unfounded. Orange said Telesocial has already taken the company to two French courts including the Paris Court of Appeal based on the same complaints, but in both cases the claims were rejected. “This reinforces our view that Telesocial’s complaints are totally lacking in merit,” the group said in an emailed statement

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BlackBerry woos keyboard loyalists with launch of Classic

By John McCrank and Euan Rocha NEW YORK/TORONTO (Reuters) – BlackBerry Ltd launched its long-awaited Classic on Wednesday, a smartphone it hopes will help it win back market share and woo those still using older versions of its physical keyboard devices. The Canadian mobile technology company said the new device, which bears striking similarities to its once wildly popular Bold and Curve handsets, boasts a larger screen, longer battery life, an expanded app library with access to offerings from Amazon. ..

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BlackBerry woos keyboard loyalists with launch of Classic

By John McCrank and Euan Rocha NEW YORK/TORONTO (Reuters) – BlackBerry Ltd launched its long-awaited Classic on Wednesday, a smartphone it hopes will help it win back market share and woo those still using older versions of its physical keyboard devices. The Canadian mobile technology company said the new device, which bears striking similarities to its once wildly popular Bold and Curve handsets, boasts a larger screen, longer battery life, an expanded app library with access to offerings from Amazon. …

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Online lender OnDeck Capital’s shares soar in debut

By Neha Dimri (Reuters) – Shares of OnDeck Capital Inc rose as much as 40 percent in their market debut, underscoring investor appetite for startups using technology to disrupt traditional banking. The online lender’s shares touched a high of $28 amid heavy trading on Wednesday, valuing the company at about $1.85 billion

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Online lender OnDeck Capital’s shares soar in debut

By Neha Dimri (Reuters) – Shares of OnDeck Capital Inc rose as much as 40 percent in their market debut, underscoring investor appetite for startups using technology to disrupt traditional banking. The online lender’s shares touched a high of $28 amid heavy trading on Wednesday, valuing the company at about $1.85 billion. The company’s successful debut follows that of online loan marketplace LendingClub Corp, whose shares rose as much 67 percent in their debut last week.

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Rocket Internet backs rental start-up looking to replace realtors

By Eric Auchard LONDON (Reuters) – German ecommerce investor Rocket Internet is backing online apartment rental firm Nestpick as the start-up expands into four European countries, aiming to connect landlords with tenants and put real estate agents out of a job. Nestpick said on Tuesday it was expanding into 14 cities in Britain, France, Italy and Spain, seeking to do for medium-term property rentals what AirBnB has done to transform the market for short-stay rentals for holiday and business travelers

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