Hitachi Data Systems Corp. is offering customers, providers and partners three new ways to access the cloud.
The options are designed to enhance the management of private and public cloud solutions, accelerate the cloud building process and help HDS channel partners develop and release to the market new cloud services.
“Our upgraded Hitachi Compute program, a converged solution, gives users the business agility and reliability they need to successfully transform their business with cloud,” said Ravi Chalaka, vice-president of solutions marketing, HDS. “Hitachi Cloud – Compute-as-a-service is a completely managed cloud solution that accelerates times to market, eliminates complexity and aligns cost to quality of service and business usage…And our Cloud Service Provider Program provide more trusted choice in cloud services.”
Hitachi Cloud – Compute-as-a-service — An on-premise managed cloud solution that can be customized to include off-premise capabilities through HDS’s partnership with Equinix, an Internet business exchange (IBX) data centre and colocation provider. This solution allows IT to shift from a configuration that is based on technology with upfront capital expenditure to an offering that is based on an elastic pay-as-you-go pricing. This model aligns cost with predictable outcomes.
Hitachi Unified Compute Platform –This is a converged solution designed to accelerate creation and deployment private and hybrid clouds and streamline management and operations. It includes new options to access VMware vCloud Air and Microsoft Azure. UCP is now natively integrated with both Microsoft System Centre 2012 R2 and VMware vCentre Server so management and operation can be performed through existing and familiar frameworks used by customers.
Hitachi Cloud service provider program — This provider program delivers enterprise-grade technology, joint business planning, cloud service design and go-to-market techniques to HDS partners.
The program establishes a “shared risks, share reward” mechanism, according to Neil Colstad, vice-president, cloud service provider program for HDS.
“Hitachi helps CSPs (cloud service providers) design and package differentiated and profitable cloud services and will also co-market and co-sell partners’ cloud services that are powered by Hitachi Data Systems,” he said.
The provider program also lowers the cost for customers as they transition to a consumption-model, cloud-based IT infrastructure, said Brian Cann, vice-president, cloud and infrastructure, global partners and alliance at CGI Group, a Canadian IT consulting and integration company.
“We’re now able to accelerate cloud deployments for our customers and streamline and consolidate the operational tasks and management to support a number of cloud models,” he said. “Additionally, our customers can scale up and down based on their individual needs with the predictability of a consumption-based cost model.”