The IBM Cloud Reference Architecture sets out the Cloud Service Consumer on the left, the Cloud Service Provider and finally the Cloud Service Developer. Within the Common Cloud Platform the Service Offering Catalog (highlighted in black) sits in the Business Support Services domain which is separate to the Saas, PaaS, IaaS Cloud Services.
IBM acquired Cast Iron Systems, a leading Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud application integration provider. Websphere Cast Iron integrates Packaged applications, Home Grown applications and CloudBurst. CloudBurst provides pre-installed, fully integrated service management capabilities across hardware, middleware and applications. This includes the Service Catalog which effectively is a list of pre-engineered services from which Developers can choose.
The IBM SmartCloud offering shows the five different cloud service configurations from Private to Managed Private to Hosted Private to Shared Cloud Services and finally Public Cloud Services. The Service Catalog definition for these five Cloud Service configurations will be different because the respective Service Assets (Capabilities and Resources) together with component parts of the Service Value Chain will vary according to requirements. This is because Service Integration and Interoperability becomes critical to achieving true benefits of cloud.
Through 2015, cloud services brokerage will represent the single largest revenue growth opportunity in cloud computing! (Gartner)
- By 2015, at least 20% of all cloud services will be handled via brokers, rather than directly—up from less than 5% today. (Gartner)
- Through 2014, cloud service brokerage will generate more than $5 billion in sales—up from less than $50 million this year—making it the fastest growing area of cloud computing. (Gartner)
- By 2015, 50% of new outsourcing deals will be significantly Cloud enabled. (Saugatuck)
- Technology platforms (enabled by Cloud IT) have emerged as the newest value lever for services leadership and adoption will continue in 2011 at a rapid pace. (Saugatuck)
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