Fujitsu formally goes PaaS

Fujitsu has been hovering around the edges of becoming a declared PaaS vendor for some time, having already built a comprehensive infrastructure service capability and added a number of acquisitions and partnerships which helped take it ever-closer to offering a platform on which users and service provision intermediaries could build their own cloud services environments.

Now, however, it has taken the final step and introduced the Fujitsu Cloud Integration Service to help meet the needs of users looking to move to the cloud. Recent research undertaken on the company’s behalf suggests that, as well as having a cloud service provider capable of delivering consumable services rather than build their own, a large body users, 78 percent, want a provider to take end-to-end responsibility for at least part, if not all, of their cloud implementation. In addition, 74 percent of them prefer cloud providers with experience in hardware and software solutions, and strong integration, consulting and managed services skills.

If these numbers hold good for any length of time, this attitude is likely to narrow the field of potential cloud service providers and implementers to a handful of vendors.

To meet this need, the Service is setting out to offer businesses the choice and integration services that they are asking for. By definition, the choices available are not limitless, so what is available will not suit every business. It has attempted to pick out, however, offerings across the core range of services that a platform service should be expected to offer.

Here, the company sees the new Cloud Integration concept, which combines consulting expertise and managed services, as being a key tool in enabling organisations to choose the right cloud options for their needs. It then is capable of integrating multiple cloud environments with their legacy systems, to deliver a seamless service.

At its launch, the Service consists of eight major components, starting with the Fujitsu Cloud IaaS Trusted Public S5. This was formerly known as the Fujitsu Global Cloud Platform, to which additional capacity has been deployed over the last 12 months. A new dedicated service is planned to be available by the end of this year.

The Fujitsu Cloud IaaS Private Hosted, which was formerly called the Local Cloud Platform has been deployed into a number of new regions over the last 12 months, and has new functionality planned and in development for introduction before the end of FY2013.

Fujitsu Cloud PaaS RunMyProcess is the result of integrating in the company’s April acquisition of the French vendor, RunMyProcess. This is arguably the core of Fujitsu’s cloud initiative, as it is the PaaS component that allows users to build and deploy new generation business critical applications by integrating and combining existing services and assets from both cloud and on-premise based solutions.This will be rolled out globally over the coming financial year.

The company is claiming a world’s first for Fujitsu Cloud ITMaas. This, it claims, is delivering the world’s only unified approach to IT Management as a Service, and is being offered in partnership with CA. It is based on the Nimosft solution.

Another partnership, this time with EVault, led to the availability of Fujitsu Cloud BaaS, which was first announced in December 2012. It is now being rolled out globally, delivering cloud-based backup services for cloud and non-cloud systems. A third partnership, with Symantec, is behind Fujitsu Cloud End User Protect, which is being fully announced later this month. This will deliver cloud based security services.

Another existing module being slotted into the Platform is the Fujitsu Managed Infrastructure Service Managed Mobile. This has been available since 2009 and will see a major new release, with significant new functionality, based on the Citrix XenMobile solution, later this financial year.

Last but not least, the Fujitsu Cloud Multi-cloud Environment Integrated Operations Service will extend the existing cloud managed services and is planned to be available in key markets later this financial year.

“Fujitsu has long recognised that cloud is complex,” said Cameron McNaught, Fujitsu’s EVP, Solutions, International Business.” Organisations must balance short- and long-term objectives for cloud implementation to address their own unique mix of requirements. Fujitsu continues to work hard to maintain its growing reputation as a trusted cloud partner. Our focus has always been to offer the broadest choice of cloud services. Our newly launched Cloud Integration Services enable our clients to leverage multiple cloud environments in a coherent way, allowing them to more quickly and easily to innovate and modernise their ICT systems.”