Intel announced a Cloud solution for SMBs, known as the Intel Hybrid Cloud. The pillars of this offering are the following:
The other concept that is exciting is the catalog. While not quite an iStore yet, the catalog is a marketplace to shop for applications you’d like to download and deploy in a virtual machine scenario.
The future is here
At the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) and onward, Intel is engaging with selected partners in a pilot program as they carefully scale the infrastructure to support this solution for a future broad market release.
- Ease of use, flexibility, and pay-as-you-go cost structure of the cloud
- Peace of mind of having your data on-premise, managed by an MSP
Think of this as a “best of breed” that merges the traditional IT-managed data centre with the cloud paradigm shift, distributed through various channels.
Just the facts
Intel’s Hybrid Cloud is a data centre solution developed by Intel that
enables an MSP to turn on, turn off, and remotely manage multiple
virtual appliances, including popular Microsoft server applications and
other server apps for small businesses. It runs on a headless server
without a keyboard or mouse that is managed from another PC such as a
remote laptop. Intel Hybrid Cloud will be available on
special SKUs of Lenovo’s ThinkServer TS200v as part of a pilot program beginning in July.
Lenovo’s TS200v is the ideal server for Hybrid Cloud because in
addition to solid reliability and energy efficiency, it has Intel
Active Management Technology which enables powerful remote management
for the MSP. The Hybrid Cloud Server will be available in a couple of
configurations, depending on the performance needs of the small
business, and these will come pre-installed with the Hybrid Cloud
software stack which offers:
- A simple user interface for choosing which appliances to run on the box, and for managing the server remotely.
- The Intel Hybrid Cloud Catalog, a list of pre-configured virtual appliances, including Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) 2003 and 2008, and Windows 2008. Other pre-installed appliances include firewall, backup, disaster recovery, and IP PBX.
- Support for applications from well-known SMB Nation ISV friends including Level Platforms (LPI) for client monitoring/management and Vembu for data storage. If a Level partner, think of this as the ideal Onsite Manager appliance – one box for everything!
Why does Hybrid Cloud matter?
Intel’s Hybrid Cloud Server is turning IT acquisition on its head,
offering a subscription model and a catalog. The subscription model is
unique in this space in that the user can “subscribe” the entire server
solution for a monthly fee. That makes this blended on-site/cloud server
solution an operating expense, not a capital expense. Furthermore – the user can subscribe to third-party productivity applications being used on
this server and pay only a recurring subscription fee. In many cases,
this could mean one can use an application to burst up for a discrete
project and then “return” the application and lower your operating
expenses. The small business only pays for the months in which they use
an appliance.
The other concept that is exciting is the catalog. While not quite an iStore yet, the catalog is a marketplace to shop for applications you’d like to download and deploy in a virtual machine scenario.
The future is here
At the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) and onward, Intel is engaging with selected partners in a pilot program as they carefully scale the infrastructure to support this solution for a future broad market release.
Videos on Hybrid Cloud:
Introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkx_G6Qo4Rw
Intel Hybrid Cloud @WPC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNzd7r5gdNE
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