IBM Expands Its Software Portfolio on the Azure Marketplace Globally
Overview
On October 29, 2024, IBM made a significant announcement from its headquarters in Armonk, New York. Through a press release, IBM revealed an expansion of its Apptio portfolio — which includes enterprise agile planning, IT financial management, and cloud financial operations (FinOps) solutions — to Microsoft Azure. Additionally, IBM announced the global expansion of its software availability on the Azure Marketplace, making it easier for customers to purchase software directly while utilizing their Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment.
The Growing Need for Efficient IT Management
As technology evolves and IT budgets increase, leaders in the field are under mounting pressure to demonstrate the value of their investments. The integration of IBM’s software into the Azure Marketplace serves as a strategic response to these challenges. IBM’s Targetprocess, now available on the Azure Marketplace, is designed to assist portfolio managers and finance teams in planning and managing budgets. This software aligns workforce efforts with various technological priorities and adheres to industry best practices known as technology business management (TBM).
Simplified Management with IBM Targetprocess
Targetprocess is a native software-as-a-service solution that IBM acquired through its purchase of Apptio. It integrates seamlessly with Azure DevOps, allowing for streamlined management, increased efficiency, and potential cost savings. This is achieved by enabling clients to make better use of their Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitments. As a leader in both IDC’s MarketScape for Worldwide Value Stream Management and Agile Project and Portfolio Management, as well as Gartner’s Enterprise Agile Planning Magic Quadrant, IBM Targetprocess enhances the capabilities of Azure DevOps. It provides comprehensive visibility from the team level upward and supports various Agile frameworks, including SAFe. The software’s flexibility allows it to align with an organization’s specific business practices, serving as a single source of truth for technology spending and labor allocation.
Expanding IBM Software Availability on Azure Marketplace
IBM is taking significant steps to expand the global availability of its software portfolio to 14 additional countries via the Azure Marketplace. These countries include Australia, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The Azure Marketplace is a preferred choice for enterprise IT purchases. IBM’s presence on this platform allows customers to buy software according to their preferences while leveraging their Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment investments. This enables easy access to IBM technologies like Aspera on Cloud SaaS, Netezza SaaS, SingleStoreDB SaaS, Streamsets, and the webMethods Integration Suite. In addition, services like watsonx.ai, watsonx.data, and watsonx.governance are also available as customer-managed services on the Azure Marketplace.
Customer and Industry Impact
Nick Otto, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at IBM, emphasized the flexibility that the integration of IBM Targetprocess into the Microsoft Azure Marketplace brings to their joint customers. He noted that this move supports clients on their digital transformation journeys by offering the convenience and simplicity of purchasing on the marketplace. Dinis Couto, General Manager of GSI Commercial Partners at Microsoft, added that this collaboration empowers customers to efficiently utilize IT resources and adapt to evolving tech needs, particularly with the rise of cloud-based AI innovation. By enhancing decision-making and productivity, this partnership is set to improve IT management across organizations of all sizes.
IBM and Microsoft’s Collaborative Vision
IBM and Microsoft’s collaboration is rooted in a shared vision of hybrid, multi-cloud business transformation. Both companies are committed to meeting customer needs by ensuring that workloads run in optimal environments. This partnership has a history of delivering innovative solutions, and IBM is recognized as a key technology and consulting partner for Microsoft. IBM offers nearly 50 consulting services on the Azure Marketplace, which are available globally. These services focus on business transformation through hybrid cloud, generative AI, data and application modernization, security services, and industry-specific solutions such as IBM Consulting Azure OpenAI, IBM Consulting Connect 360, and IBM Consulting Banking Operations GenAI Co-Pilot. IBM also boasts over 50,000 Microsoft certifications and a dedicated team of experts trained in the latest Microsoft technologies, all aimed at helping clients maximize their investments.
Future Plans
IBM Targetprocess is the first Apptio product to be available on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace. Looking ahead, IBM plans to introduce IBM Apptio Costing and Planning to the marketplace in the fourth quarter of 2024, with IBM Cloudability set to become available to Microsoft customers in the coming year.
For more information about IBM Targetprocess for Azure DevOps and IBM Software on the Azure Marketplace, interested parties can visit the respective pages on the Azure Marketplace.
Conclusion
IBM continues to be a leading provider of global hybrid cloud, AI, and consulting expertise. The company helps clients in over 175 countries leverage data insights, streamline business processes, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge. IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift play a critical role in the digital transformations of numerous government and corporate entities in sectors like financial services, telecommunications, and healthcare. With groundbreaking innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions, and consulting, IBM offers open and flexible options to its clients, all while upholding a long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. For further information about IBM, visit their official website.
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