HP is building out its platform as a service offering with the general availability of its hybrid cloud open-source Helion. This gives enterprise users and developers supported, commercial versions of OpenStack software and an integrated development environment based on Cloud Foundry technology. Designed to work together seamlessly, the HP Helion OpenStack and HP Helion Development Platform offer an integrated IaaS and PaaS solution for enterprise cloud computing.
More is promised later this year, Paul Morgan, HP EMEA CloudSystem Director tells IT Europa. “The next evolution will be to grow the existing Cloud-Agile partners into this. The developer community will be built around OpenStack and we are looking at supporting all types of partners, service providers, and ISVs.”
This is even more relevant to Europe, he explains because the Europe tends to use many more smaller local service providers rather than the public cloud. He expects to see solutions for business needs developed based on Helion and made available to the market via HP. “Essentially, this will grow into a huge opportunity,” he says. Currently it seems that the big integrators are making the running with this, but interest in OpenStack is bringing developers and service providers of all types and sizes towards the model.
Users will get the advantage, not just of the hybrid function and switching between environments, but will be able to choose between providers, determining the appropriate pricing, SLA level and burst seamlessly when extra resources are needed.
Two new programs to support the ecosystem, HP Helion Ready and HP Helion Developer Network mean HP Helion-ready ISV and SaaS solution providers can earn certification for HP Helion and gain technical, sales and marketing benefits and with the HP Helion Developer Network, developers can participate in coding workshops, and meetups and can engage via forums.
PaaS is currently very popular in HP, which is anxious not to compete in the cut-throat public clooud market, but to supply the profitable tools that make it all work. See this article on MSPEuropa