NEW YORK, April 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CIOs running proven applications on an IBM Power Systems platform are finding themselves searching for balance between the aging administrative support available for legacy platforms and the over-delivery of performance newer platforms have to offer.  This has left IT pros still running mission-critical applications on IBM Power Systems platforms – including IBM i (AS/400, iSeries, and System i) and AIX-based operating systems – with a bevy of questions: Is it cost-effective to move legacy Power apps onto an x86 platform? Are there alternatives? Are there any third parties who can support a transition of these legacy apps to the cloud? Logicalis US, an international IT solutions and managed services provider and an IBM Premier-level Business Partner (www.us.logicalis.com), says it can do just that through its Logicalis Enterprise Cloud for IBM Power Systems.

The Logicalis Enterprise Cloud for IBM Power Systems is built on IBM technology, is capable of supporting multi-tenancy running AIX and IBM i partitioned servers, and features enterprise-class storage.

"A lot of our IBM Power customers still rely heavily on the IBM i platform for mission-critical applications.  The platform itself is still a viable solution for these customers. However, we are noticing that there are fewer people in the market today who can effectively maintain, manage and operate that infrastructure on premise.  As a result, CIOs who need to maintain these systems are looking for life-extending strategies and solutions," says Kevin Gruneisen, Senior Director, Data Center Solutions, Logicalis US.  "Moving these apps to the cloud may be the right solution, but there are very few cloud providers who are experts in both IBM server architectures and maintaining these kinds of proven apps in a cloud environment.  The Logicalis Enterprise Cloud for IBM Power Systems offers exactly this kind of service.  We already have customers who are using the environment for mission-critical and non-mission critical workloads as well as disaster recovery as a service. In the case of our ISV customers, our cloud provides a perfect environment for delivering software as a service.  All of this means the Logicalis Enterprise Cloud for IBM Power Systems can offer a way to outsource strategic and non-strategic workloads as well as a way to modernize and optimize a client's computing infrastructure to support an as-a-service model."

Key Features of the Logicalis Enterprise Cloud for IBM Power Systems

• Support for IBM i and AIX including operating system licensing, software maintenance and hardware maintenance
• Enterprise activation for interactive workloads
• Enterprise-class management skills
• Monitored and managed 24x7
• Suite of IBM licensed program products for IBM i including BRMS, Performance Tools, PowerVM Enterprise, SQL Development Kit, and many more
• Cloud resources that are built on current IBM Power Systems
• Flexible computing capacity that can be sized to meet a client's specific needs
• Housed in a Tier III data center
• Rapid self-provisioning and capacity on demand
• ITIL v3 security management best practices, SSAE-certified, and compliant with HIPAA and other regulations
• Allows clients to choose an op-ex versus cap-ex model

"Moving these types of workloads into the cloud requires planning," Gruneisen says. "We want to provide the same class of service that our customers have in their on-premise environments in the cloud at a competitive price. Our teams are trained to help clients understand the business value that cloud services provide, not just the computing power.  Through the Logicalis Enterprise Cloud for IBM Power Systems, we give customers the ability to realign their workforce to take on today's challenges while leaving the backroom, lights-on responsibilities to us."

Want to Learn More?

• Find out more about Logicalis' relationship with IBM and about the Logicalis Enterprise Cloud for IBM Power Systems here: http://www.ict-log.us/wfnCN.
• Are you ready for the cloud? Read about Logicalis' Cloud Readiness Assessment here: http://www.ict-log.us/vW67b.
• What five points should CIOs consider as they develop a cloud strategy? Find out here: http://www.ict-log.us/uicQr, then explore the IT Transformation Journey that takes place on the way to the cloud here: http://www.ict-log.us/vW6xz.

About Logicalis

Logicalis is an international IT solutions and managed services provider with a breadth of knowledge and expertise in communications and collaboration; data center and cloud services; and managed services.

Logicalis employs nearly 3,500 people worldwide, including highly trained service specialists who design, specify, deploy and manage complex ICT infrastructures to meet the needs of almost 6,000 corporate and public sector customers.  To achieve this, Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as Cisco, HP, IBM, CA Technologies, EMC, NetApp, Microsoft, VMware and ServiceNow.

The Logicalis Group has annualized revenues of approximately $1.5 billion from operations in Europe, North America, South America and Asia Pacific and is fast establishing itself as one of the leading IT and Communications solution integrators specializing in the areas of advanced technologies and services.

The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg and London AIM Stock Exchanges, with revenues of over $5 billion.

For more information, visit www.us.logicalis.com.

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SOURCE Logicalis US