IBM's Cloud Will Feature Ubuntu
When IBM announces its Smart Business cloud computing strategy on June 16, Canonical’s Ubuntu Linux distribution will be along for the ride. The news represents IBM’s latest vote of confidence in Ubuntu, amid growing evidence that Canonical and Ubuntu are finding a home in cloud computing. Here’s the scoop.
News of IBM’s cloud effort broke in The New York Times on June 15. The Times story didn’t mention Ubuntu, but the blogosphere is talking up IBM’s growing interest in Canonical’s operating system.
According to the Cloudonomics blog, IBM will extend its on-premise virtual desktop offering into the cloud. The solution allegedly will include Verde’s Virtual Bridges, Ubuntu Linux and IBM’s Open Collaboration Client Solution Software (OCCS), based on IBM Lotus Symphony, IBM Lotus Notes, and Lotus applications. We’ll know for sure on June 16, but I believe the early reports about Ubuntu leaping into IBM’s cloud are accurate.
And Canonical insiders like John Pugh from the Ubuntu Server Team are Tweeting about IBM’s cloud initiative.
A Different Kind of Server
In recent months, Canonical has been trying to convince IBM, Dell and Hewlett-Packard to preload Ubuntu Server Edition on selected server hardware. Also, Canonical has been striving to have server application makers promote their software on Ubuntu.
There are signs that HP intends to certify its servers for Ubuntu. But actual Ubuntu Server Edition preload deals haven’t really materialized. And most independent software vendors (ISVs) have yet to shout about their progress on Ubuntu Server Edition.
Still, cloud computing seems to be giving Canonical an alternative doorway into the server market. In addition to working within IBM’s cloud, Canonical has been testing Ubuntu Server Edition within the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). And Canonical has aggressively stated that Ubuntu 9.10 — expected to debut in October 2009 — will emphasize cloud enhancements.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting Ubuntu can dominate next-generation cloud infrastructure. Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Novell SUSE Linux, Microsoft Windows Server and plenty of other mainstream operating systems have scored wins within Amazon Web Services and other major cloud initiatives.
But Canonical is in the cloud game. And IBM will reinforce that fact on June 16.
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What is unique with Canonical’s cloud play is that they are trying to make it seamless. The box you develop on in your cube, will with the app port run without change on the cloud infrastructure. At least that is what they are trying to pitch. That’s a bit of a different game than what RedHat and Suse are playing.
JohnMc: I’ll be watching to see if the Canonical cloud play is more than hype. I do think IBM’s vote of confidence in Ubuntu (especially for the cloud) is a big deal.
-jp
Joe:
I can’t wait to see technical and pricing details the IBM services are in more detail. There’s precious little information on IBM cloud site at the moment or in the the draft press release. Though if you have been following IBM communication streams closely you’d have seen WAS Hypervisor edition and WAS “cloudburst” appliance show up on the scene earlier..which make use of virtualized websphere images (based on Suse linux) running over vmware to give an indication as to where IBM is head with its enterprise related cloud services. Hopefully there’s more to talk about than just “cloudburst” or a repackaging of their existing dynamic infrastructure services concept.
Though, the fact that the Smart Business Desktop Cloud service offering points to a case study about Pike County schools using desktone to virtualize Windows clients on IBM big iron, should probably be taken as a cautionary warning as to the main thrust of IBM Desktop cloud product.
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/common/ssi/sa/ps/n/env03001usen/ENV03001USEN.WMV
http://www-03.ibm.com/industries/education/us/detail/news/F368506D94378L61.html
http://www.desktone.com/downloads/public/collateral/Desktone-Case-Study-Pike-County-School-District.pdf
If the Desktop cloud IBM is offering looks anything like the test project they did with Pike County, its absolutely unrelated to the Canonical/Virtual Bridges virtual client bundle from last December.
If you actually get a chance to talk to someone about this, see if you can pin down some solid sales numbers on the Ubuntu/VERDE bundle that IBM introduced in December that include $10 per client for Canonical support and how that bundle integrates with the new cloud services. I’m not seeing a direct connection between the two programs.
-jef
Jef: Here’s a tidbit of info that may interest you and WorksWithU readers…
I’ve reached out to Virtual Bridges more than half-a-dozen times seeking an interview with their CEO since December. No confirmation of an interview so far. I’ve also reach out to one of their resellers for an interview but have not received a response.
It makes me wonder: Is the Virtual Bridges/Ubuntu/IBM relationship for real? How come Virtual Bridges doesn’t return calls or schedule appointments with WorksWithU?
Is it us… or is it them?
Joe:
I’m not shocked, but I am saddened by that admission.
Canonical and its partners are papermills of press release announcements for new product and service initiatives, but no one really wants to talk about the short or long term sales performance in any detail on down the line, certainly not to the level necessary to feel out where Canonical’s revenue strength is and is not. It’s the difference between building buzz and building a business.
I’ll note that Virtual Bridges quietly added support for virtualized RHEL “desktop” in Feb…without being in a deal sweetened bundle. And on top of that Virtual Bridges offers an unbundled Ubuntu client solution without the IBM lotus software and without Canonical support priced in. So even if Virtual Bridges talked to you you’d have to distinguish between the sales of the bundled and unbundled offering to get a feel for the revenue generating power of that bundle for Canonical. Actually you’ll most likely need to talk to someone at IBM about the sales numbers for the bundle..as its really IBM’s bundle that includes VirtualBridges tech. and Ubuntu.
-jef
For the record, Dennis Quan, IBM’s Director of Autonomic Computing told me that the Smart Business offerings are based on VMWare. He could, however, have been referring only to the dev/test offering, and I misunderstood.
Nonetheless, Ubuntu did not come up in our conversation.
See http://news.cnet.com/8301-19413_3-10265311-240.html
James Urquhart
The Wisdom of Clouds
James: Thanks for the follow-up. In IBM’s cloud it sounds like the Open Collaboration Client Solution Software (OCCS) and Ubuntu desktop are virtualized on VirtualBridges.
@James:
vmware as the virtualization tech…. did he go into virtualized images that IBM will be pushing which sit above the vmware layer? My current understanding is that the cloudburst appliance offering comes preloaded with Suse based websphere vmware managed images. I’m assuming IBM is deploying VMware ESXi as a bare metal hypervisor in its cloudburst appliance with no other host operating system in use.
But that’s the appliance, is the public cloud service IBM is talking about also built around bare metal VMware ESXi?
-jef