Foxconn to build cloud computing centers in Taiwan
updated 01:30 am EST, Wed November 23, 2011
Reveals plan to expand beyond manufacturing
Foxconn Group, best known for their assembly and manufacturing factories in China, is planning two new buildings on a site of 1.85 hectares (4.57 acres) in Taiwan that will see the company expand into cloud computing and software development, either for itself or on behalf of its clients, DigiTimes reports. The company plans to invest more than $63 million in constructing the site, which will eventually employ 3,000 software engineers.
The buildings will feature three centers, including a cloud computing facility, a software development center focused on storage, cloud computing, digital content, security monitoring and environmental protection, and a "technological innovation incubation center," sources claimed. The buildings are planned to reach full capacity in about five years.
In addition to being known as one of Apple's primary manufacturing partners, the company also does work for a wide variety of electronics firms, including Microsoft, Samsung, Sharp and others. The new push into software development and cloud computing may reflect an effort by the company to diversify and attract new customers or pull business away from India and other countries where software development is a high-growth industry.
Construction is expected to begin on December 1st in the Kaohsiung Software Park in southern Taiwan. Foxconn, which has also expanded to Brazil and other countries, is also said to be gearing up to handle the next edition of Amazon's e-reader tablet, the Kindle Fire.
