HP to build Paul McCartney a private cloud

An ex-Beatle is getting into cloud computing: HP is building a private cloud for Sir Paul's vast library of art, images, video, and songs.

Technology giant Hewlett-Packard has announced it has entered into an agreement with McCartney Productions Limited (PML) to create a private cloud service that will host digitized versions of the ex-Beatle’s large collection of art, film, video, and (of course) music. Although the entirety of the collection will apparently only be available to Paul and his cohorts, there are plans to make portions of the library available to fans so they can have a “personal and unparalleled” glimpse into McCartney’s life.

“I’ve always been interested in creative ideas and new ways of reaching people, so this is a really exciting initiative for me,” said McCartney, in a statement.. “I hope it will allow people who might be interested to access parts of our archives they might otherwise not be able to. I’m looking forward to working with HP on this project.”

The agreement marks the first time HP has entered into this kind of agreement with an artist or performer. Under the terms, HP will work with PML to design and built a top-flight content management system for McCartney’s extensive collection. McCartney’s library includes master recordings of many world-famous sounds, as well as innumerable paintings, artworks, images, films, and video. HP is characterizing the agreement as not only a win for Beatles and McCartney fans—who will presumably get access to portions of the material—but as a way to “preserve the history of one of the world’s most-loved artists.”

There’s no word on when HP anticipates the private cloud service going online, or when fans might be able to take a peek. There’s also no word on whether See Virtual Worlds plans a McCartney-themed area in the upcoming Planet Michael virtual world—Michael Jackson famously outbid McCartney for publishing rights on portions of the Beatles’ Northern Songs catalog in the 1980s, after being clued into the upsides of song publishing royalties by none other than McCartney himself.