IBM Acquires Blue Box to Accelerate Open Hybrid Clouds

IBM announced it has acquired Blue Box Group, Inc., a managed private cloud provider built on OpenStack. Blue Box is a privately held company based in Seattle 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. Financial details were not disclosed.

Enterprises are seeking ways to embrace all types of cloud to address a wide range of workloads. This announcement reinforces IBM's commitment to deliver flexible cloud computing models that make it easier for customers to move to data and applications across clouds and meets their needs across public, private and 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.

This move further accelerates IBM's commitment to open technologies and OpenStack. IBM has 500 developers dedicated to working on open cloud projects to bring new cloud innovations to market.

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

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 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.

Keywords: Private Clouds, Hybrid Clouds, OpenStack-Based Solutions, ARC Advisory Group.