Apple gets Yahoo's data center chief

As it gets more involved in offering cloud-based services, Apple Inc. has hired the data operations center chief of media portal Yahoo!, a business-tech site reported. GigaOM.com said Scott Noteboom left his role as VP of data center engineering and operations at Yahoo! to become a “distinguished gentleman" at Apple. Noteboom, who led Yahoo’s data center operations since 2005, joins Apple at a time the iconic consumer electronics maker works on its iCloud offering. "Noteboom was involved in Yahoo’s chicken coop data centers and helped expand Yahoo’s Internet portal in scale," GigaOM noted. It added that since Noteboom joined Yahoo! in 2005, he has served as chief design architect and a founder of the company’s data center self construct/operate initiatives. His duties include managing all aspects of the data center lifecycle, from design, construction, operations, to de-commissions. "This latest hire just reaffirms Apple’s commitment to the cloud and getting to webscale," GigaOM said. A separate article on tech site CNET said Apple has spent reportedly $1 billion to build a 500,000-square-foot behemoth of a data center in Maiden, North Carolina, which some have begun calling the "orchard." "Apple hasn't said how it will use the server farm, but there is speculation that it will power the cloud services that Apple is working on, according to numerous sources," it said. — TJD, GMA News