Datapipe, an MSP and cloud services provider, has unveiled a platform for designing, testing and deploying applications that will run in the cloud; other news from the week.
By
John Moore and Spencer Smith
Published: 02 Dec 2016
Datapipe, an MSP and cloud services provider, launched a platform that the company said accelerates the deployment of cloud-based enterprise applications.
The platform, dubbed Trebuchet, aims to provide a tool set that lets customers design, build, test, deploy and monitor applications. Datapipe said it will look to test the platform, currently in a private beta phase, among large and midsize enterprises. Jatil Damania, director of product development at Datapipe, said the platform will initially target customer-centric applications that require frequent updating.
Damania said Trebuchet encapsulates industry best practices and Datapipe's experience over the past few years in helping customers adopt cloud computing. The platform was announced at AWS re:Invent, Amazon Web Services' annual cloud conference.
Philbert Shih, managing director at Structure Research Ltd., a research and consulting firm based in Toronto, said he views Trebuchet as a move to automate best practices for moving customer applications to third-party hyperscale clouds, such as AWS and Microsoft Azure. Shih follows developments at Datapipe, although he said he was not specifically briefed by the company on Trebuchet.
Shih said many of the firms that help customers "onboard and get running on AWS" are doing so via consulting services -- essentially manual processes -- that involve considerable human intervention. In general, the task of taking on-premises systems and turning them into cloud-based enterprise applications can prove daunting for services providers and their customers.
"MSPs are now going to try to automate that as much as possible, which makes complete sense."
Shih said automation benefits the service provider and the client. For service providers, automation boosts operating efficiency, which drives margins and makes a given service more profitable. For customers, automation leads to faster deployment times and fewer mistakes.
MSPs are now going to try to automate that as much as possible, which makes complete sense.
Philbert Shihmanaging director, Structure Research Ltd.
"The beauty of automation ... when it comes to infrastructure ... is that it is a win-win for provider and customer," Shih said.
Datapipe's Damania, meanwhile, said Trebuchet will also help customers implement microservices architectures. With microservices, applications are built from an assemblage of modular services, each of which focuses on a single function. The microservices architecture approach intends to make systems easier to modify, since discrete services can be changed without impacting other components. Microservices and container technology can play a role in building cloud-based enterprise applications.
"This platform ... is very much focused on microservices," Damania said. "We are looking to help [customers] on the journey, moving toward the microservices architecture ... and test-driven development."
The Trebuchet beta program will continue through the first half of 2017, with general availability expected by the end of that year.
Networking vendor cPacket revises partner program
CPacket, a provider of performance monitoring technology for large network operators, has redesigned its partner program.
The new cChannel program, launched last week, targets resellers, systems integrators and MSPs. The program has three tiers -- Affiliate, Silver and Gold -- with incremental discounts, and offers training and enablement tools, market development funds, streamlined deal registration, and access to an account manager. Partners will also see professional services opportunities for performance audits, configuration and DevOps integration, the vendor said.
CPacket has worked exclusively through channel partners for several years, but many of those partner relationships were "fulfillment in nature," noted Jim Berkman, head of global marketing at cPacket. "Over the last year, we've been trying to change that. So now we're engaging with partners in a more meaningful way."
Other news
IT software automation vendor Atera enhanced its cloud-based platform for MSPs. The platform now features new patch management and automation capabilities, automated email communications, and a script editor for creating and running scripts within the platform. Atera said it also introduced a new notification center.
Ingram Micro Inc. added IBM Connections to its Cloud Marketplace. IBM Connections offers collaboration tools including IBM Verse enterprise email, team rooms, e-meetings and chat as well as file sharing and editing. Ingram Micro's Cloud Marketplace lets resellers purchase and provision cloud services.
Also in distribution, Avnet Inc. said it will provide internet of things solutions in conjunction with relayr. The agreement, which applies to the U.S. and Canada, will let channel partners access relayr's middleware platform and tools for deploying IoT equipment and services.
Xerox unwrapped its healthcare-focused multifunction printer (MFP), which it said will help small and midsize healthcare providers digitize patient information for secure online exchange. The Healthcare MFP is connected by Kno2, a clinical document exchange cloud service, and features Xerox's ConnectKey technology.
TierPoint, an IT infrastructure services provider, said Darwin Global LLC has tapped its private cloud and managed security services. The services will support the expansion of Darwin Global's cloud-based training, education and professional development services, according to TierPoint.
Communications vendor ShoreTel launched the PartnerStart, a program that aims to help partners take ownership of their ShoreTel Connect Cloud installations and act as the central point of contact with their customers. To join the program, partners must obtain partner certification.
The Market Share is a news roundup published every Friday.
