IBM acquires software broker Gravitant to bolster hybrid cloud play

IBM is continuing to build out its hybrid cloud proposition by splashing the cash on US-based IT services broker Gravitant

BM has reinforced its commitment to becoming a major player in the hybrid cloud market by agreeing to acquire US-based IT services broker Gravitant for an undisclosed sum.

Gravitant’s flagship offering is a product called CloudMatrix, which is designed to help enterprises adopt a hybrid approach to IT consumption by making it easier to manage applications and workloads from a variety of cloud and on-premise providers. 

The firm’s technology also allows users to compare the pricing and features of these services via a centralised hub to make managing their IT estate across private and public cloud environments simpler.

IBM has already confirmed that Gravitant’s technology will be incorporated into its Global Technology Services division and the IBM Cloud arm.

Big Blue has been making a concerted effort in recent years to position itself as force to be reckoned with in the hybrid cloud market, as more of its customer base looks to reduce their use of on-premise hardware and infrastructure.

As such, this saw the firm sell-off its x86 server arm to Lenovo in 2014, while embarking on a series of more cloud-friendly acquisitions and investments, including the 2013 purchase of infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) provider Softlayer and the roll-out of its BlueMix platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offering.

Martin Jetter, senior vice-president of global technology services at IBM, said adding Gravitant’s technology to its portfolio should help customers grappling with the management challenges that come from operating a hybrid cloud model.

“The reality of enterprise IT is that it is many clouds with many characteristics, whether they be economic, capacity or security,” he said.

“Gravitant provides an innovative approach to add choice and simplicity to how enterprises can manage their environments. It will be a key component as we broaden our hybrid cloud services.”

Meanwhile, Mohammed Farooq, chairman and CEO of Gravitant, talked up the potential of what the new business opportunities set to be part of the IBM family could open up for the firm.

“IBM is the leader in hybrid cloud and enterprise IT services. Our technology will advance clients’ experiences, as well as bring new capabilities to IBM’s base,” he said.

“Together, we’ll be able to help more enterprises manage their expanding private and public cloud environments.”

Source : computerweekly.com