As companies migrate their solutions to the cloud, there is a need to make sure that developers are supported and brought along. For on-premises deployments, software firms such as IBM have provided developer options for both customers and partners. There has always been a line between developer enablement and providing free software to developers who abide by the letter of the law but not the spirit. BlueMix is IBM’s platform for developing applications with a variety of languages, it runs on SoftLayer, which is one of IBM’s cloud solutions. Both platforms are receiving significant investment from IBM.
With developerWorks Premium I think IBM has found a good balance between “free” and attracting developers who are genuinely interested in the products. While there is a yearly charge, $398.96 in the US, it is more than offset by credits for both BlueMix and SoftLayer. Additionally IBM has rolled the program out in 60 countries, ensuring good coverage and making the program appealing.
- 1 year Bluemix subscription plus USD 240 credits
- 12-month access to SoftLayer VM (USD 45 per month)
- Library of 500 books and videos from Safari Online
- Free IBM Cloud Platform Certification (USD 200 value)
- 5 private repositories for one month from GitHub
- Up to 50% off major events from IBM and our partners
- Always-on community support
IBM is updating the mix of benefits which indicates to me that they are listening to feedback from the community. The list of benefit changes so read the links below for more details.
Overview
With developerWorks Premium you get exclusive access to powerful tools and resources to help you hone your skills and rapidly deliver successful cloud projects with IBM’s Bluemix and Softlayer. And don’t worry, technical support from IBM experts is just a click away. You’ll also build marketable skills with a complimentary IBM cloud certification test, premium educational resources, including a curated library of hundreds of books, videos, and conference materials from top publishers, and discounts on top developer events.
