IBM updates WebSphere line after Cast Iron buy

IBM acquired Cast Iron Systems earlier this week

IBM has released a line of network appliances designed to take advantage of its recent acquisition of Cast Iron Systems.

The company said that the three WebSphere offerings will allow companies to integrate and manage applications on-premise and within cloud computing services.

The DataPower Integration Blade X150B is designed to better manage point-to-point integration, while the DataPower XC10 is a network appliance which IBM claims can speed up application performance.

The third device is the Cloudburst Appliance, a network appliance that focuses on the management of WebSphere cloud computing builds.

IBM officially acquired Cast Iron Systems on Monday, citing the firm's ability to integrate the management of network applications and cloud computing services as the driving factor behind the deal.

IBM will also open its software labs to partner companies to allow developers to create products that are more compatible with IBM's, and facilitate better networking and collaboration.

"Our clients' success often starts with the partner as the first point of contact," said Sandy Carter, software business partners vice president at IBM.

"These new resources can help our partners fuel innovation and accelerate smarter planet projects with clients."