VMworld 2017: IBM Extends Enterprise VMware Workloads To Its Cloud

IBM said on Tuesday that a deal with VMware announced last year has enabled more than 1,400 enterprises around the world to run their on-premises VMware workloads on IBM’s cloud infrastructure.

In February 2016 the two companies said they would work together to allow companies to run existing VMware workloads in on-premises environments to cloud-based infrastructure without the need to change the workings of their own operations, the applications involved or their security policies.

Cloud shift

The shift allows companies to, for instance, make use of IBM’s cloud-based features such as its artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics tools. IBM said its IBM Cloud for VMware is available across nearly 60 data centres in 19 countries.

“Enterprises in nearly every industry want to use the cloud to modernize and create new business opportunities,” stated IBM Cloud general manager Faiyaz Shahpurwala.

At the VMworld Europe conference in Barcelona on Tuesday IBM said the partnership has allowed companies such as Honeywell and Vodafone to extend workloads into the IBM Cloud.

The company said Honeywell’s Performance Materials and Technology (PMT) Division based its Open Virtual Engineering Platform (VEP) on IBM Cloud, allowing users to build and test engineering processes using remotely based tools and infrastructure.

Honeywell transferred its existing VMware-based environment to IBM’s infrastructure, where it makes use of data protection and security tools from HyTrust and Intel, IBM said.

“The partnership between IBM and VMware is enabling Honeywell to deliver new industrial automation technologies like the Open Virtual Engineering Platform for our customers around the world,” said Honeywell Process Solutions president Vimal Kapur.

New cloud features

Vodafone said it used IBM’s cloud infrastructure to offer a service enabling enterprises to move VMware-based workloads from the Vodafone Hosted Private Cloud to the IBM Cloud.

IBM and VMware also announced the availability of new network control and visibility products from F5 Networks and Fortinet on IBM Cloud to help companies shift their on-premises environments to the cloud as they are.

Other announcements made at the conference include IBM’s adoption of VMware’s HCX technologies for improving interoperability between IBM Cloud and any VMware-based cloud and IBM’s decision to begin offering the VMware Horizon virtual desktop and application cloud service on IBM Cloud as of the fourth quarter of this year.

IBM said new SAP-certified bare-metal servers and new VMware configurations are now available for SAP HANA platform deployments in the IBM Cloud, and said its cloud infrastructure has now been officially certified under the VMware Cloud Verified trust marque.

IBM competes with cloud leaders including Amazon, with whom VMware also announced a deal last year. VMware announced last month its VMware Cloud is now available on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

VMworld Europe 2017 continues through Thursday.

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