IBM Dedicates Itself To The Cloud

Like us on Facebook

Walt Braeger, vice president of cloud computing and global technology services at IBM, says the company wants to offer its enterprise customers with a complete portfolio of products and services, rather than discrete products.

"Most clients in the enterprise world want a road map," Braeger said. "They want to acquire new levels of agility. They want to know how they get into new markets. We provide components with services and products for customers that want all these whole capabilities."

Braeger says the number one factor driving IBM's cloud engine is saving money by eliminating the cost of running data centers. "CIOs (chief information officer) are looking at the cloud as a way to drive savings," Braeger said. "They are looking to find that economic value."

Flexibility, says Braeger, is another appealing aspect of the cloud to enterprise customers. The partnership with USTA is a good example of that - the system had to offer features in real time and adapt.

Naturally, there are concerns, such as security. "If economic savings is the driver of the cloud then security is the number one inhibitor. We don't think it should be marginalized," Braeger said. While he says he thinks the company is a leader in this space, he admits there is much to be done. Enterprise customers still worry that data in the cloud is easier to access and penetrate than physical data centers.

Over time, the company has built up its cloud offerings through acquisitions. Braeger says the company has made 11 security based acquisitions since 2006. For instance, the acquisition of Cast Iron allowed the company to better manage the public and private cloud at the same time.

This strategy has impressed Elliot Lowen, analyst at cloud computing consulting firm BTC Logic. "IBM has been very strategic in acquiring the appropriate cloud companies, leveraging their presence in corporate America, and focusing their professional services to help formulate a practical cloud strategy," he said.

Braeger says the company will continue to look for acquisition opportunities, though cloud storage is probably not one of them. "We feel we're good there," Braeger said.