Unisys plans to simplify hybrid cloud environments

Unisys has created a package of tools and services designed to help companies transition from installed to cloud services, or run permanent hybrid networks.

The company said that too many companies are losing some of the benefits of moving to a more cloud-centric infrastructure because of poor design and disjointed management systems. This leads to a lack of interoperability and excessive costs.

The new Unisys Hybrid Enterprise system fuses the company's existing Cloud Advisory Services and Cloud Management Services offerings, and adds a newly created CloudBuild portfolio which offers a variety of planning modules to build vendor-neutral systems.

CloudBuild bundles some existing services, like the Hosted Secure Private Cloud service Unisys launched in 2009, with new offerings designed to build efficient networks.

"Our clients are committed to using existing IT infrastructure along with new cloud solutions, and they understand the importance of avoiding ‘cloud in a corner' syndrome," said Fred Dillman, Unisys chief technology officer.

"They need a roadmap for managing their cloud projects that is tightly integrated with their existing investments, optimises efficiency and provides a single view of their overall IT workload. The Unisys Hybrid Enterprise framework gives them that roadmap."

Unisys proposes an "eight-track" methodology for building cloud system, covering management tools and processes, financial policies, models and approaches, physical and virtual architecture design, security, storage, network engineering, service delivery management and support services.

The Hybrid Enterprise system is most usefully applied to new-build networks but can also be applied to existing systems.