Converged IT platforms becoming big business
Comprehensive compute network and storage appliances, which are being referred to as converged infrastructure, began as a niche market and is on its way to become a multi-billion dollar industry, says Ravi Namboori, a Cisco evangelist, taking cue from a news item in computerworld.com.
Companies, such as Dell, VMware have initiated processes in the first week of February to bolster their standing in this fledgling market. IT research firm Gartner estimated in 2014 that integrated systems’ revenues would increase more than 50% compared with the previous year. It also predicted that this converged market would rake in revenues as much as $6 billion in 2014. Innovation taking place at a rapid pace in this segment caused hyper-converged platforms to be evolving from big ticket IT players.
A converged platform comprises hardware for compute, network and storage packages from multiple vendors congregating into an integrated offering. VMware compute virtualization software and Cisco networking equipment, has become one of the most popular converged platforms adds Ravi Namboori, a former Cisco employee.
Another big player in this market is Dell, which partners with multiple vendors to provide converged platforms based on Dell compute and storage hardware. In addition, Dell also has converged platforms, which have been designed to work in Microsoft environment.
The latest is that Dell has entered into a pact with managed cloud company FireHost to come out with a converged platform, primarily with Dell compute and server hardware and NSX networking. This platform will provide a private cloud for businesses dealing with many compliance standards. First on-premises private cloud of FireHost will be a converged platform, adds the Cisco evangelist.
Wikibon’s Senior Analyst Stu Miniman is quoted to have written in a report published recently that converged infrastructure, which has been evolving for over five years, is very quickly changing the way IT is being used by people. VCE generated revenue worth about $2 billion in 2014 and FlexPod, another player in the converged IT platform space, raked in $3 billion in the last four years for Cisco and NetApp, collaborators on that platform.
Oracle’s converged platform is based on its virtualization and database technology and VMware will unveil its EVO line which needs it to collaborate with partners to distribute converged platforms with VMware software across the stack, according to Ravi Namboori.
All these developments have led to mushrooming of new players in the converged platforms space. Players like Nutanix, Simplivity, and Maxta are providing add-on converged platform services, known as hyper-converged platforms, by offering an appliance that brings together all-flash storage arrays, higher-density compute cores, and networking, which are completely software-based either from one vendor, or group of vendors working together.Read More
