IBM accelerates open cloud with Blue Box acquisition

BANGALORE, INDIA: IBM has acquired Seattle based Blue Box that 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. This acquisition will enable IBM to deliver a public cloud-like experience within the client’s own data center, relieving organizations of the burden of traditional private cloud deployments.

“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 IBM General Manager of Cloud Services Jim Comfort. “The acquisition of Blue Box accelerates IBM’s open cloud strategy making it easier for our clients to move to data and applications across clouds and adopt hybrid cloud environments."

Through Blue Box, IBM will help businesses rapidly integrate their cloud-based applications and on-premises systems into OpenStack-based managed cloud. Blue Box also strengthens IBM Cloud’s existing OpenStack portfolio, with the introduction of a remotely managed OpenStack offering to provide clients with a local cloud and increased visibility, control and security.

IBM has 500 developers dedicated to working on open cloud projects to bring new cloud innovations to market. Blue Box is a strategic fit into the IBM Cloud portfolio as Blue Box can enhance and complement developer productivity by:

· Speeding delivery of applications and data through simplified and consistent access to public, dedicated and local cloud infrastructures

· Supporting managed infrastructure services across hybrid cloud environments and IBM’s digital innovation platform, Bluemix

· Offering a single management tool for OpenStack-based private clouds regardless of location

Blue Box Founder and CTO Jesse Proudman said, “Together, we will deliver the technology and products businesses need to give their application developers an agile, responsive infrastructure across public and private clouds. 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 currently plans to continue to support Blue Box clients and enhance their technologies while allowing these organizations to take advantage of the broader IBM portfolio.