Hybrid cloud computing solution launched by IBM
Hybrid cloud computing solution launched by IBM
IT giant IBM has launched a hybrid cloud computing solution, designed to help businesses reduce the time it takes to move to the cloud.
The launch of the service follows the company's acquisition of Cast Iron and aims to provide a new range of integration and management capabilities. These will allow organisations of all sizes to “gain greater visibility, control and automation” over their assets and computing environments.
Earlier this month it was revealed that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are being put off moving towards the cloud because they feel that the technology will be too complex and confusing for them to implement. Indeed, the survey conducted by network support company Lifeline IT found that 96 per cent of SMEs are putting off the move because of these reasons.
An integrated system from IBM might go some way to helping smaller firms participate in the cloud computing trend, although they may still need to consider the possibility of managed networks if their hardware is not up to the job.
Randy Berger, IT manager of process and application development at Siemens, suggested that the Cast Iron platform expansion fro IBM will help the firm to improve the access and management solutions it already offers for hybrid clouds.
“As a user of IBM WebSphere Cast Iron, we have been able to not only easily integrate our on-premise and cloud-based applications, but also provide live feeds of order data changes to our sales reps on any device, including mobile phones, tablets and laptops," he added.
Industry analysis suggests that a hybrid blend of private and public cloud computing is proving to be increasingly popular. This is due to the fact that it allows organisations to make use of the leverage of scale and flexibility available through the public cloud, while retaining the control of certain resources and data.
The research found that 39 per cent of cloud users report that the hybrid option is currently part of their strategy, while this number is predicted to grow to 61 per cent in the near future.
Businesses looking to move services into the cloud, should evaluate the performance of their existing network and consider setting up a leased line or MPLS network.
