Chip making giant Intel (Nasdaq: INTC)today released details of its pay-as-you-go service catalog and onsite data that will be housed on its hybrid cloud platform.
This cloud service called AppUP Small Business Service is targeted at solution providers along with server and software vendors.
What it offers is an opportunity for solution providers to provide its customers a hybrid cloud service containing onsite server and data storage. Intel reference designs will include server, on-line application catalog and a securely manage software usage. Small-business customers can be charged on a monthly basis for what they use. The service will be powered by Xeon processors and feature usage tracking.
Intel says this is a new business model for the company. The solution consists of pre-packaged small business applications from a broad range of software providers. Small business customers access the the cloud-based application through solution providers with the control and responsiveness of running their applications and data onsite.
Bridget Karlin, general manager, Intel Hybrid Cloud, said the company developed the Intel AppUp Small Business Service to build a foundation on which the industry can innovate and provide small business customers with a more convenient, secure, and high-performance experience. Small businesses are the ultimate beneficiaries because this service gives them a compelling new option for improving their business results through IT. This Intel-based solution comes ready to use, and doesn’t require their own IT staff or the capital cost of a server.
Each month, that server tracks software usage and sends a secure encrypted report to an Intel data centre. Intel invoices the solution provider, which bills the small business customer.
In addition, solution providers can remotely manage their customers’ servers that employ this Intel Hybrid Cloud reference design by using a Web portal hosted by Intel and secured by a Web application firewall and HTTPS encrypted communication. Using Intel Active Management Technology (Intel AMT), service providers can remotely troubleshoot, diagnose, and support the servers, saving the time and cost of sending a technician onsite in most cases, according to Intel.
Some of the applications available in the AppUp services are: Astaro, GFI Software, gloStream, Intuit, Level Platforms, Microsoft, SIOS, Tally, and Vembu.
The Intel AppUp Small Business Service is available to qualified IT solution providers and MSPs in North America. Solution providers will initial get server platforms such as the Lenovo ThinkServer TS200v and a white box server. A range of additional server models from Acer, NEC and others will soon be available.