Cisco Systems Inc and EMC Corp are in talks to create a new joint venture to provide technology services, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people briefed on the plan.

The paper said the new venture, code-named Alpine, would be aimed at data centers -- the giant computing rooms that power the Internet and corporate networks.

The joint venture plans to target large businesses and emphasize installing products from Cisco and EMC, the newspaper said, adding that it was unclear when the new venture could be announced.

Cisco and EMC would both have board representation on a new company, the people told the paper.

EMC and Cisco have a long-standing strategic alliance and over the years we continue to broaden and strengthen the alliance a spokesman for EMC was quoted as telling the paper. A spokesman for Cisco told the paper the company did not comment on rumor or speculation.

Cisco and EMC could not be immediately reached for a comment by Reuters.

(Reporting by Chakradhar Adusumilli in Bangalore; Editing by Greg Mahlich)

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