IBM Gets on the Cloud-Computing Bandwagon

(MoneyWatch)  IBM on Monday unveiled a series of cloud computing services including business consulting to determine return on investment, design and implementation and security architecture.

Big Blue noted that its services will focus on public, private and hybrid cloud computing set-ups.

While the move is a no-brainer for IBM?€"the company's services business is massive?€"it is an indicator that cloud computing is gaining more mindshare among corporations. As the enterprise rejiggers data centers and rebuilds infrastructure to take advantage of cloud computing IBM can use its services to sell its hardware, software and hosting.

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Separately, IBM said it would also validate the resiliency of cloud computing set-ups. The evaluation finds holes and gives companies with cloud services benchmarks to work from. Allscripts, a healthcare information management company, has signed up.

Of IBM's services, its security efforts may be the most interesting. IBM said it has cooked up a companywide project to create a security architecture for cloud computing environments. The project pulls together IBM's research and security arms with the rest of the business. The idea is that enterprises provide and get cloud services with security at least as good as what they get in traditional computing environments.

I would hope that IBM could be more secure in the cloud?€"and maybe even cook up something that would be self healing. Overall, cloud computing security is an untapped field. Once cloud computing gains some more traction rest assured that it will be a big target for hackers. There would be a lot of glory and financial gain by bringing down a cloud or two.

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and Editorial Director of ZDNet sister site TechRepublic. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
Credit: ZDNet