Cisco looks for ways to grow business with cloud-based platform
Cisco took a major step toward migrating its data center management business to the cloud with the debut of Cisco Intersight, a cloud-based automation platform for Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) and HyperFlex. The release is part of a multi-year program by the company to alter how compute is handled.
The shift will be important as Cisco looks for innovative ways to grow. Revenue from company products, collaboration and data centers were reported down last month. However, revenue from subscriptions increased by 18%. Cisco Intersight appears to be an effort to make UCS and HyperFlex more appealing by simplifying how its data center is deployed and managed.
One way Intersight makes life easier it it eliminates the need to install, monitor and control its data center software separately. At present, Cisco data center customers maintain their systems using separate pieces of software. With Cisco Intersight, all data center operations can be monitored and managed through a single plane of glass provided by a cloud-based dashboard. The solution will be provided as a software as a service (SaaS) package.
“Today, most IT organizations are adopting a multicloud strategy, and as a result customers need a scalable and consistent management environment across their data centers, private clouds and public clouds deployments,” Cisco said in a statement. “Customers also seek consistent management and policy enforcement across bare metal server environments, converged infrastructure and hyperconverged infrastructure. Cisco Intersight will deliver the unique ability to connect and manage all of these comprehensively.”
Another feature of the platform is continuous optimization. The platform leverages machine learning algorithms and analytics to determine the best practices from its data center customers. In return, the company will be able to provide recommendations and insight on how systems fair in comparison to others. The system can alert customers when they have a configuration that caused problems for other customers. In addition, Intersight is connected to Cisco’s Technical Assistance Center (TAC). Customers can opt to send data automatically to the TAC to accelerate the troubleshooting process.
Some businesses have been wary of storing sensitive company information in a public cloud. Intersight aims to address this concern by encrypting all data and strictly adhering to security standards for data. The platform will be available in the fourth quarter this year with configuration and management features.
