IBM's strategy apparent in SmartCloud Enterprise+
Dave Courbanou says Big Blue will require channel help to maximise assurance in its public-cloud enterprise offering
IBM is expanding its IaaS efforts with an investment in the hosting space: IBM SmartCloud Enterprise+ (SCE+). This new service is meant to be a one-stop-shop for enterprise customers looking for high-level SLAs on hosted enterprise enterprise apps, such as ERP, CRM, or major big-data offerings. What makes IBM different?
IBM promises SCE+ will come complete with high level security and user management features that ensure a safe and secure use of public cloud -- something major corporations are demanding in cloud migration.
IBM attests this goes beyond the IaaS offered with typical public cloud deployments, and will include updates and identity management to mitigate the most pressing and evolving concerns.
Jim Comfort, general manager of SmartCloud services at Big Blue, says IBM wants to offer "assurance" as a way to make businesses comfortable with the latest technologies and help them drive business without worry.
This update is complemented by the introduction of the IBM SmartCloud for SAP Applications, a specialised IBM service that streamlines the process of building out SAP offerings, which typically require more advanced operational skills.
IBM SmartCloud for SAP apps also automates the provisioning of hosted environments and can accommodate SAP Business Suite and SAP BusinessObjects. IBM has promised 99.7 per cent availability alongside a fully managed PaaS.
To sweeten the deal, IBM will also marry its Global Business Services tools and processes with the SmartCloud SAP offering, providing application lifecycle as-a-service capabilities.
Existing SAP customers interesting in making the move can test their operations on IBM's cloud, after which they can be easily moved to the SCE+ platform for production-ready usage, according to IBM.
An IBM spokesperson was not available for comment on whether these latest services would be deliverable by IBM's service partner community. However, IBM's latest efforts with SmartCloud Docs were channel-friendly.
If IBM wants to provide "assurance" in the enterprise public cloud space, it's best to do so with the help of the trusted advisors and providers that often have an ear to enterprise customer needs.
Worth noting: SAP's efforts to dig deep into the cloud space continue to be enhanced by IBM. Additionally, recent advancements in both cloud computing and in-memory computing make this alliance powerful amid rising demands on big data technology and increasing attractiveness of gaining real-time business intelligence.
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