IBM invests $300 mln in disaster recovery centers

The technology encrypts data on computers, automatically sending it to IBM's cloud computing center over the Internet.

If a customer's computer breaks down or a data center is destroyed, lost data can be restored via the Web in two to six hours, IBM Vice President Mike Riegel said in an interview.

Older technology known as "data mirroring" is far more expensive than cloud-computing technology and relies on two sets of data in two locations. But it also allows for systems to be restored in less than an hour, he said.

IBM's rivals in this area include Hewlett-Packard Co (HPQ.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and privately held SunGard.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Braden Reddall).