A Customer Journey to Cloud and Container Platforms

Many organizations are moving to cloud and are using this solution to modernize their Java applications. And IBM has a new suite of products to reflect the technology shift. “All new IBM technology is being built container-first,” said IBM Engineer Kevin Trinh in a recent webinar. “Staying on track with your business will mean a move toward a cloud- or container-based platform in the very near future.”

Here is a list of questions you may be considering in your line of business as you think about making the most of your IT spend while staying current in the marketplace.

What does cloud- or container-based platform look like?

This is Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered software that provides common operations and integration framework built on Red Hat OpenShift -an open-source hybrid cloud platform that includes AI, automation, and embedded security for companies looking to modernize their platform.

What are the benefits of cloud- or container-based platforms?

Cloud and container platforms are superior to traditional platforms in that they:

• Decrease maintenance and upgrade downtimes by 84%
• Reduce operating expenses by up to 75%
• Can run on-premises or in the cloud of your choice – or a hybrid of both
• Run faster and more reliably
• Have embedded technology in AI and Machine Learning
• Free up human subject matter experts for high priority tasks
• Require little to no code in implementations
• Are designed for a business user, not an engineer

What does a migration to a cloud- or container-based based infrastructure entail?

There are three phases to an infrastructure shift: discovery, planning and execution.

1. Explore business’s current status and viability of the following:
   1. Adoption of container platform
   2. Transition to container-based deployment
   3. Modernization of customer portal application
   4. Implementation of application service layer
   5. Migration of data to the cloud
2. Plan for the shift to the cloud by:
   1. Deploying new environments on cloud
   2. Containerizing all custom applications
   3. Building new generic service layer for all custom applications
3. Execute the plan:
   1. Stagger all deployments for net new scenarios with minimal disruption
   2. Celebrate!

How do I learn more about cloud- or container-based platforms?

Industry experts at IBM agree that a move to cloud- or container-based platforms are a necessary step to modernize technology while reducing costs and infrastructure footprint. “Being more flexible and agile has to be a part of your larger strategy and we can help you get there,” Trinh said.

IBM’s cloud and container services include:

• IBM Cloud Paks for Automation Products
• IBM FileNet Content Manager
• IBM Business Automation Navigator
• IBM Business Automation content Analyzer
• IBM Business Automation Insights
• IBM Operational Decision Maker / Decision Services
• IBM Business Automation Studio
• IBM Automation Workstream Services
• IBM Automation Digital Workers
• IBM Enterprise Records
• IBM Business Automation Workflow
• IBM Content Collector
• IBM Datacap

Read more about IBM’s latest solutions here.