Taking its cloud computing push to the next level, IBM is offering consulting services to help businesses take advantage of this new computing model, as well as enhanced security to protect corporate data.
At the same time, the company has established a program in which it will validate as trustworthy other providers of applications or services in the cloud environment — a “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval for the cloud set.
The computing giant has been talking up “cloud computing” for some time. Last spring, IBM partnered with the Georgia Institute of Technology and Ohio State University to create the Critical Enterprise Cloud Computing Services facility, a prototype of linked data centers at the two institutions.
In cloud computing, or network-delivered services and software, the storage and delivery of applications and related services are moved from a one-application-per-server model to virtualized servers, or “ the cloud,” typically a service provider’s data center. The concept is used to drive many popular Web services, including the software-as-service (SaaS) applications commonly delivered via the Internet. The concept involves maximizing server capacity and is one answer to the ever-growing complexity and expense of running on-site data centers.
With yesterday’s announcement, IBM now offers industry-specific Business Consulting Services for Cloud Computing, assisting customers in assessing the total cost of ownership for a number of computing alternatives: building their own private clouds, moving data and applications off-site into a public cloud, or implementing a hybrid cloud model that combines the two approaches.
IBM consultants will look at a company’s workload to see what services can be moved into a cloud delivery model, said Ric Telford, vice president, Global Technology Services, at IBM, in an interview. Users can then choose services from a catalog and gain immediate access to shared services or storage space, for example. By moving to an external cloud model, Telford said, businesses can better utilize their computing capacity and reduce energy consumption. Noting that many IBM customers have power caps, he said, “If you can’t grow your data center, you look for low-hanging fruit you can take out of the data center” to free up space and save on energy.
In addition, IBM Global Technology Services is offering consulting, design, and implementation services to install, configure, and deliver cloud computing inside companies’ data centers. Among the goals is to help customers improve operational efficiency, reduce their carbon footprint, and increase return on investment.
IBM is also working to add security and shield against vulnerabilities in the cloud. The security project will span IBM Systems, Software, Services, and Research and X-Force groups. Geared mostly to private clouds, the effort will rely on next-generation security and cloud service management technologies, in addition to which IBM will develop trusted virtual domains, authentication, isolation management, policy and integrity management, and access control technologies designed for cloud computing, the company said in its statement.
IBM’s Resilient Cloud Validation program, while not a formal certification program, according to Telford, lets businesses offering cloud computing collaborate with IBM on benchmarking and design validation. Those companies can use the IBM “Resilient Cloud” designation when marketing their services. IBM is drawing on its extensive experience in operating data centers and delivering remote technology services under strict standards for quality to ensure service without interruption.
Telford noted that manufacturers might find cloud computing advantageous for setting up collaborative systems — for example, for 3D CAD — “things where you want to build up and tear down rapidly without a lot of overhead and up-front expense.” Over time, he said he anticipates vertical industry-specific clouds, where users can go for a low-cost alternative to building additional internal infrastructure.