IBM has launched an analytics platform for private cloud designed to bring the same flexibility and elasticity of public cloud infrastructure to on-premises data centers.
Cloud Private for Data is an integrated data science, engineering and development platform designed to help companies gain insights from torrents of data from IoT sensors, online commerce, mobile data and more, IBM Corp.(NYSE: IBM) says.
Cloud Private for Data extends IBM Cloud Private, a private cloud platform IBM introduced in November. It brings Kubernetes into the data center, with additional enterprise tools such as logging, monitoring and metering. It's designed as a platform for enterprises to build hybrid cloud applications that move easily between public clouds and the enterprise data center. (See IBM Cloud Private Extends Big Blue's Hybrid Reach.)
The software includes IBM Streams for data ingestion, Db2 database and DB2 Warehouse, Cognos for reporting, IBM Governance Catalog and more.
Applications built on Cloud Private for Data are microservices based, to permit easy upgrades, Dinesh Nirmal, VP development, IBM analytics, tells Enterprise Cloud News. "Today if we have crated an update or feature it will take months or years to put in a production environment," Nirmal says. "With a platform like this we can push an update to a Docker registry, where customers can see it, pick it up, put it in QA, development or staging, and then put it into production with a click of a button."
Kubernetes provides load balancing to scale applications up and down as needed, Nirmal says.
Cloud Private for Data includes machine learning to both optimize the software and improve insights gain from business data.
The software will be available in industry-specific solutions for financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and other industries, IBM says.
Additionally, IBM debuted its Data Science Elite team, a no-charge consultancy to help enterprises in their machine learning and AI strategies.
Hybrid cloud is emerging as a battlefield for traditional enterprise vendors like IBM looking to make the transition to serving enterprises deploying applications to the cloud. (See AWS & VMware Vs. Cisco & Google: A Cloud Fight Worth Watching.)
IBM is the third-largest cloud provider, trailing Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), with both companies far behind Amazon Web Services Inc. , according to Synergy Research Group Inc. .
Amazon has 40% market share, while IBM, Google and Microsoft combined have 23%, Synergy says. (See AWS Maintains Its Public Cloud Dominance.)
However, IBM arguably has a stronger position than its competitors in that it offers private cloud and legacy hardware, software and services, while AWS, Google and Microsoft need to rely on partners to fill out that portfolio. IBM gives enterprises a one-stop-shop, where the other cloud providers need third-party integration.
This week, IBM introduced a cloud security service as well as support for Kubernetes on bare metal. (See IBM Launches 'Continuous' Security & Kubernetes on Bare Metal.)