IBM’s transition to the cloud continues to pay dividends. Since acquiring Softlayer in 2013 and introducing Bluemix, customers have enjoyed a complement of cloud infrastructure solutions for their business needs. Additionally, the rise of cognitive solutions through IBM Watson has further bolstered cloud credibility, notably with the partnership that surfaced with tax preparer H&R Block during this year’s Super Bowl.
With these characteristics and ongoing innovation in mind, research firm Gartner once again named IBM as a visionary in its 2017 Magic Quadrant for Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). In their latest report, both Bluemix and Softlayer’s capabilities are evaluated for their strength and potential.
Notable Observations
Gartner notes the following observations about IBM’s growth in the cloud space:
- Maturity: Gartner sees IBM’s cloud maturity as steady, with expansion over time. What was once sold to startups and gaming companies has expanded, notably to organizations with interest in bare-metal needs.
- Scalability: IBM is in the midst of a “Next Generation Infrastructure” (NGI) engineering project, where the firm intends to set and achieve aggressive design goals for cloud pricing and performance. NGI will be a key component of IBM’s future cloud plans and presented as the Bluemix experience.
- Brand Recognition and Relationships: IBM is well-known across the globe with strong existing partnerships and relationships. Additionally, its developer ecosystem is also helping drive Bluemix adoption, providing local competitive differentiation that other organizations may find challenging to provide.
You can read more of the report here.
Perficient’s Value Add
Perficient is a long-standing IBM partner, having worked with the technology innovator for nearly two decades to implement solutions in healthcare, retail, manufacturing, and more. With a combination of our Innovation Lab, DevOps-in-a-Box Jump-Start Solution, Immersion Migration Solution, and consulting expertise, we aid organizations with their journey into the cloud while providing guidance all the way. Our cloud migration work with a leading healthcare firm even earned us a coveted Beacon Award during IBM’s 2016 InterConnect Conference.
If you’re interested in seeing how cloud solutions from IBM can influence your organizational development, reach out to us at sales@perficient.com for a conversation with one of our experts. Then download our hybrid cloud guide for additional best practices and use cases.
