BMC Software and Unisys Corporation have formed a joint initiative to deliver and manage advanced cloud solutions. The two companies are basing their joint solutions on BMC's second-generation Cloud Lifecycle Management (CLM) offering combined with Unisys' cloud advisory, implementation and management services portfolio. The BMC and Unisys initiative will address strategy, planning, design, implementation and operational management of cloud computing solutions to make it possible for customers to realize both immediate and long-term business value through a disciplined approach to cloud computing.
"As cloud computing matures, companies are increasingly finding that it pays to invest in cloud solutions that are agile and innovative yet complete and disciplined," states Kia Behnia, BMC's chief technology officer. "The BMC and Unisys offering provides access to a market leading cloud management solution coupled with innovative strategic advisory, planning and management services. Such a combination will provide tangible returns for our customers."
According to the companies, BMC's cloud management portfolio specifically addresses the practical requirements of taking cloud computing from a pilot technology to a core, business-critical IT service, including management of hardware and virtualization technologies that customers already own as well as providing choice for future technology requirements.
BMC's CLM solution provides support for deploying business-ready cloud environments from service request to service retirement. It accelerates provisioning, optimizes ongoing operations, and rapidly meets the needs of the business. Serving as the intelligent engine within the cloud, BMC's newly introduced, policy-based Service Governor included with CLM enables customers to leverage automation and policy to expertly place, configure, and manage cloud services. BMC offers this capability today, enabling dramatic increases in the efficiency of provisioning and managing production and pre-production clouds regardless of whether they are private, public, or hybrid in nature.
The joint solution benefits from the Unisys Hybrid Enterprise approach, a services framework for integrating cloud solutions with mission-critical data-center infrastructure, that enables joint clients to get the most from the BMC cloud solutions and avoid "cloud in a corner" computing environments that are not well integrated with the organization's existing systems, processes and business models.
In addition, the Unisys Advisory and CloudBuild Services are core elements both of that framework and of the joint solution, providing strategic and financial guidance to help clients inventory and assess application workloads and prioritize those which are best suited to a cloud delivery model. The CloudBuild Services provide a rigorous methodology for the planning, design and implementation of cloud environments spanning eight core work streams that impact a cloud data center solution.
The joint solution also draws on Unisys Converged Remote Infrastructure Management Suite of solutions. This suite provides integrated, "single pane" management of clients' multi-vendor infrastructures - the "day two" management capability missing from many competing cloud solutions.
"The Unisys and BMC solution gives clients a way not only to plan and implement, but also to manage, new cloud solutions that integrate with existing, mission-critical IT infrastructure," says Fred Dillman, chief technology officer, Unisys. "We apply a pragmatic approach that reduces complexity and enables clients to lower costs while continuing to realize value from their long-term IT investments."