Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud

    IBM Acquires Blue Box, Adds OpenStack Expertise

    Written by

    Darryl K. Taft
    Published June 3, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      When it comes to cloud computing, IBM is on a mission that continued today with the acquisition of Blue Box Group, a Seattle-based managed private cloud provider built on OpenStack.

      The move accelerates IBM’s open cloud strategy by making it easier for customers to move to data and applications across clouds and adopt hybrid cloud environments, Big Blue officials said. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

      Privately held Blue Box provides businesses with a simple, private cloud as a service platform based on OpenStack. Customers benefit from the ability to more easily deploy workloads across hybrid cloud environments. Blue Box has 300 global clients, including Viacom and health care technology company BioIQ.

      “IBM is dedicated to helping our clients migrate to the cloud in an open, secure, data rich environment that meet their current and future business needs,” said Jim Comfort, general manager of cloud services at IBM, in a statement.

      Blue Box helps speed delivery of applications and data through simplified and consistent access to public, dedicated and local cloud infrastructures. It also supports managed infrastructure services across hybrid cloud environments and IBM’s Bluemix platform as a service. And it provides a single management tool for OpenStack-based private clouds.

      IBM says it is committed to delivering flexible cloud computing models that make it easier for customers to move to data and applications across clouds and meet their needs across public, private and hybrid cloud environments. With Gartner forecasting that 72 percent of enterprises will be pursuing a hybrid cloud strategy this year, it is increasingly important for companies to leverage multiple models while maintaining consistent management across their cloud platforms, the company said.

      “The Blue Box acquisition will certainly help IBM expand its cloud offerings and SoftLayer-based services but it also addresses a critical point regarding OpenStack,” said Charles King, principal analyst with Pund-IT. “On the cloud side, Blue Box’s unique approach to supporting private clouds—installing a company-built & integrated cloud appliance in customers’ data centers that the company then manages—is significantly different than other solutions in IBM’s cloud/SoftLayer arsenal. But it also complements the company’s core strategy emphasizing hybrid cloud for enterprise clients.”

      The addition of Blue Box will help IBM better enable businesses to integrate their cloud-based applications and on-premises systems into OpenStack-based managed cloud environments. Blue Box also strengthens IBM Cloud’s existing OpenStack portfolio, with the introduction of a remotely managed OpenStack offering to provide users with a local cloud and increased visibility, control and security. IBM has 500 developers dedicated to working on open cloud projects.

      Moreover, with Blue Box, IBM can provide a public cloudlike experience within a customer’s own data center.

      “No brand is more respected in IT than IBM,” said Blue Box founder and CTO Jesse Proudman. “Blue Box is building a similarly respected brand in OpenStack. Together, we will deliver the technology and products businesses need to give their application developers an agile, responsive infrastructure across public and private clouds. This acquisition signals the beginning of new OpenStack options delivered by IBM. Now is the time to arm customers with more efficient development, delivery and lower cost solutions than they’ve seen thus far in the market.”

      IBM plans to continue to support Blue Box clients and enhance their technologies while allowing those organizations to take advantage of the broader IBM portfolio.

      However, “On a more practical note, OpenStack is anything but easy to configure and deploy, a point that many believe has inhibited the technology from wide acceptance,” King told eWEEK. “But Blue Box’s ‘OpenStack in a box’ approach sidesteps those problems. By configuring OpenStack appliances in-house, then managing them after deployment, the company is effectively allowing customers to gain all the benefits of OpenStack without suffering its inherent challenges or headaches. Overall this seems like a good deal for IBM and its customers that should also preserve Blue Box’s core value proposition.”

      Darryl K. Taft
      Darryl K. Taft
      Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×