Recommended Free Tools
IBM announced a Langfang, China, information hub covering more than 620,000 square meters—about 6.2 million square feet—in 2011. That was the broader site, not the data-center floor area: contemporaneous reporting put the data-center component at about 340,000 square feet, with offices and housing elsewhere on the site.
What the two size figures measure
| Figure | What it describes | Attribution and status |
|---|---|---|
| More than 620,000 square meters (about 6.2 million square feet) | The broader Langfang Range International Information Hub site | IBM’s January 25, 2011 announcement described this as the center/site size and said completion was expected in 2016. IBM announcement via PR Newswire |
| About 340,000 square feet | Data-center space | Data Center Knowledge reported this figure after IBM clarified the data-center portion; it is a contemporaneous report about the planned project, not a final construction measurement. Data Center Knowledge, January 25, 2011 |
| 32,000 square meters | Reported estimate of data-center space | Data Center Knowledge attributed this estimate to a translation of Range Technology material; the same report noted IBM’s subsequent confirmation of about 340,000 square feet. Data Center Knowledge, January 25, 2011 |
The distinction matters: the 620,000-square-meter figure should not be presented as the amount of data-center floor space. The contemporaneous report described the remaining campus area as offices and housing.
What IBM planned for the Langfang hub
IBM and Range Technology Development Co. Ltd. announced their collaboration on January 25, 2011, for an enterprise-class cloud computing data center in Langfang, Hebei Province. IBM said it was intended to support businesses across China and the province’s development as a high-end IT and services economy. Planned capabilities included strategic outsourcing, business continuity, disaster recovery, cloud storage and mobile device management. IBM announcement via PR Newswire
The announcement said the site would follow IBM specifications and international green building standards. Range Technology was to use IBM’s technology, training, solutions and data-center design expertise, while the companies planned to work together on hosting and operations-related services. The release expected completion in 2016; that was a projection, not evidence that the facility was completed on schedule.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- IBM X3550 M4 4B Server
- 2x 2.50GHz E5-2640 12-Cores Total
- 32GB RAM / No Hard Drives / No Hard Drive Trays
- M5110 w/ 1GB
- No Operating System
What the available figures do not establish
The cited announcement and January 2011 trade coverage document a plan and how its area was described at the time. They do not verify the final built dimensions, whether construction was completed as announced, or the facility’s present-day operational status or ownership. The most precise answer supported by those sources is therefore a planned overall site of more than 620,000 square meters and a reported data-center component of about 340,000 square feet—not an independently verified as-built measurement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep a separate IBM cloud figure out of this comparison
A different IBM China cloud announcement in September 2011 concerned YLZ’s citizen-services platform. IBM said that initiative was intended to reach a population of more than 300 million; that figure refers to projected population coverage for another project, not the Langfang site’s area, capacity or user count. IBM announcement about the YLZ platform
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
