CloudBolt Adds Cloud-based IT Management to Nicira Platform

CloudBolt Software, a startup specializing in cloud-based IT management software, has integrated the latest version of its flagship CloudBolt Command and Control (C2) solution with VMware’s (NYSE: VMW) Nicira Network Virtualization Platform (NVP). According to CloudBolt, version 3.5 of the C2 software makes it possible for users to bypass the limitations of physical network configurations for software-defined networks on demand.

The C2 platform essentially is a portal (or single pane of glass management, as the company refers to it) that supplies a single point of monitoring and management over an organization’s IT resources and virtualization software. To gain entry into the crowded IT management field, CloudBolt began offering government agencies and businesses a free, downloadable version of C2 that can support up to 100 virtual machines. Freemium customers interested in upgrading from there can opt for the Enterprise edition of C2, a customized version that includes integration with VMware network virtualization, data center automation tools, private cloud frameworks such as OpenStack, and software license management capabilities.

“This is a really exciting innovation for our customers,” said John Menkart, CloudBolt chief executive, who joined the developer after heading up Hewlett-Packard's (NYSE: HPQ) enterprise security products unit, bringing with him a specialty in federal government sales. “CloudBolt C2's unique integration with VMware network virtualization helps accelerates time to market for customers seeking to implement software-defined networking.”

Hatem Naguib, VMware cloud networking and security vice president, said that the C2 technology enables IT organizations to transform their physical networks and compute assets into resource pools that are “consumed and repurposed on demand.” He added that CloudBolt’s C2 platform “takes full advantage of our network virtualization APIs to programmatically create complex, secure networks, entirely in software, and completely independent of the underlying network hardware.”

Last July, VMware bought Nicira, a startup known for its software defined networking technology, for some $1.26 billion. Nicira is regarded as the next step beyond traditional networking technology owing to its ability to establish a flexible software-defined environment.