Platform Computing Introduces Low Cost Starter Pack for Private Cloud

TORONTO, Aug. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Platform Computing, the leader in cluster, grid and cloud management software, today announced the availability of the Platform ISF Starter Pack, an out-of-the-box, end-to-end software product and services offering for companies to quickly set up a private cloud. It provides a low risk, low cost way to evaluate private cloud, enabling architects and IT managers to get a cloud sandbox environment up and running in less than 30 minutes. For only US$4,995, the Platform ISF Starter Pack includes a one-year Platform ISF license for 10 sockets, consulting, training and support.

Supporting Quotes:

• "Organizations have plenty of toolkits to choose from as they evaluate private cloud, but they require multiple tools that users must string together themselves," said James Pang, Vice President Product Management, Platform Computing.  "What's more, these toolkits can cost $50,000 or more, and require 30-plus days of onsite consulting to build and customize an evaluation environment. We wanted to provide a cheap and easy way for users to get up and running quickly with a single product. The Platform ISF Starter Pack is an ideal entry into private cloud computing for organizations that want to first demonstrate the value of private cloud to their organizations without making a large upfront time or resource investment."
• "Although comfort levels are rising, and barriers to adoption are lowering, customers remain confused by the myriad solutions that claim to enable private clouds. Often, private cloud projects are complicated by a surplus of technologies and a lack of packaged solutions," said Dave Bartoletti, Senior Analyst, Taneja Group. "Those vendors that can integrate proven technologies into comprehensive, cost-effective solutions -- and package them for rapid deployment, analysis, and evaluation -- will be the most attractive to customers who want to leverage their existing infrastructure to quickly prove the benefits of private cloud. Offering the Platform ISF Starter Pack is just the right move for Platform to differentiate itself for these customers."

Key Points:

• Introduced to the market in June 2009, Platform ISF is the first end-to-end software product that provides everything you need for private cloud management. You don't need to string together point tools from various vendors on your own.
• Platform ISF efficiently manages application workloads across multiple VM technologies and provisioning tools. It includes self-service, automated provisioning and chargeback capabilities, and can be deployed within 30 minutes. The product supports multiple VM technologies, including ESX, Xen, KVM and Hyper-V, as well as popular provisioning tools, such as Red Hat Satellite, IBM xCAT, Symantec Altiris, and Platform Cluster Manager.
• The ISF Starter Pack includes software, best practices advice and help to set up private cloud:
  • 1 year Platform ISF term license for 10 sockets, including support
  • Half-day orientation training
  • Half-day cloud building consultation
  • Integration advice for Platform ISF with your internal tools

Platform Computing will host a webinar on Thursday, August 26 at 2 PM Eastern/11 AM Pacific to discuss Real World Private Cloud in Action, demonstrating Java applications running in a Platform ISF private cloud. For more information and to register for the event, visit http://whatever.platform.com/pages/start/platform-computing-product-demonstrations/index.html?Campaign_Id=785&Activity_Id=841.

Resources:

• http://www.platform.com/private-cloud-computing/private-cloud-platform-isf/getting-started
• http://www.platform.com/private-cloud-computing/private-cloud-platform-isf

About Platform Computing

Platform Computing is the leader in cluster, grid and cloud management software – serving more than 2,000 of the world's most demanding organizations. For 18 years, our workload and resource management solutions have delivered IT responsiveness and lower costs for enterprise and HPC applications. Platform has strategic relationships with Cray, Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, Red Hat, and SAS. Visit www.platform.com.

SOURCE Platform Computing