New IBM Bluemix cloud services could help companies migrate data to the cloud more quickly, and improve the ability to gain useful insights from that data. The three services–IBM Decision Optimization on Cloud, IBM Bluemix Lift, and IBM dashDB for Transactions–were announced via a press release on Friday.
In the release, IBM said that many organizations are struggling to get their data to the cloud in the first place, and to manage it once it’s there. The release also cites IDC statistics, which predict that the amount of “high-value” data to be analyzed will double by 2020, complicating the problem.
“Cloud is the platform that enables cognitive intelligence,” John Murphy, vice president of the IBM Watson Data Platform, said in the press release. “We’re continuing to grow our catalog of cloud data services on Bluemix so that we can help developers and data scientists better manage and more quickly interpret data for business innovation.”
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IBM Bluemix Lift is the new tool responsible for speeding up data migration from on-premises data centers to IBM Bluemix and IBM Watson Data Platform, the press release said. IBM claims that the solution can move data up to 10 times faster than traditional solutions, and it encrypts the data during transfer to improve security, the release said. It is designed for high reliability, and to lessen potential downtime.
Another part of the announcement is that IBM Decision Optimization on Cloud is now available in beta on Bluemix. This tools takes in data such as “predictions, master and transactional data, business goals, and business rules” to help businesses with their planning and scheduling by balancing goals against available resources, the release said.
One example given for use of the IBM Decision Optimization on Cloud was retail inventory replenishment. When it comes time to restock for a seasonal item, the tool could help businesses weigh the costs of different replenishment plans relative to which warehouse has the best supply, versus the shipping cost from that location.
IBM also announced a new database product, IBM dashDB for Transactions, which is a managed SQL database for Bluemix that is “optimized for transactional and web workloads to help developers fuel cloud-based applications,” the release said.
For businesses that are looking to make the switch to the cloud, but that are wary of the potential time investment involved in migration, these new services for Bluemix could be a good option. That is, only if IBM’s core cloud offerings meet your infrastructure needs.
IBM has long been a strong enterprise player, but has struggled to keep up with other cloud providers in the past. However, Gartner’s recent Magic Quadrant rating for cloud PaaS providers did list IBM as a “visionary.” Additionally, IBM recently consolidated many of its cloud brands under the Bluemix moniker in a bid to further its mission as a cloud broker.
The 3 big takeaways for TechRepublic readers
- IBM recently announced three new services for its Bluemix cloud platform that could ease data migration and help companies get better insights from their data.
- IBM Bluemix Lift is the core migration offering, which encrypts data in transit, and offers a 10 times increase in speed, according to a press release.
- IBM has advanced as a player in the cloud market, making moves to unify its brand and reaching the “visionary” category on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant.
