By samdizzy

CenturyLink‘s (NYSE: CTL) SavvisDirect division has launched AppGrid, a private cloud service that allows businesses to design, build, test and launch production environments leveraging web servers, databases and networking appliances. CenturyLink, a Talkin’ Cloud Stocks Index member, says customers can deploy the private cloud environments via its data centers in North America.

Early adopters, according to CenturyLink, include The Liati Group, a New York-based merchant banking firm. The bank switched from an in-house server solution to SavvisDirect AppGrid as a beta customer after Hurricane Sandy triggered a five-week power outage in some areas. AppGrid allowed the bank to get back up and operational within just 48 hours, CenturyLink indicated.

CA Technologies: AppLogic Scores

Among the big winners here: CA Technologies’ AppLogic cloud platform, upon which AppGrid is designed. CA explains the CenturyLink relationship in this blog.

AppLogic is part of CA’s effort to push beyond traditional enterprise software. AppLogic looked pretty promising in 2011 but CA didn’t say much about the platform in early 2012. At the time AppLogic sort of looked adrift because it had no dedicated team behind it. By October 2012, CA reorganized and put the entire AppLogic business under Senior VP Adam Famularo. His goal: Get the AppLogic buzz going again with cloud services providers. The SavvisDirect victory is one of many deployments I suspect CA is preparing to announce.

Although CA Technologies is not a fast-growth company, the company definitely has pockets of growth — including AppLogic and the Nimsoft IT monitoring and service management business.

SavvisDirect AppGrid Capabilities

So what exactly does AppGrid do for customers? CenturyLink says it offers a:

CenturyLink launched SavvisDirect in December 2012. The company plans to expand into Europe and Asia over the next year.