IBM Signs Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Amazon Web Services to Deliver IBM Software as-a-Service on AWS

IBM announced that it has signed a Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS), with plans to offer a broad array of its software catalog as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) on AWS.

Building on IBM Software being available as-a-Service (aaS) on IBM Cloud, this first-of-its-kind agreement between IBM and AWS will provide clients with quick and easy access to IBM Software that spans automation, data and AI, security and sustainability capabilities, is built on Red Hat OpenShift Service on AWS (ROSA), and runs cloud-native on AWS. The two companies are also committing to a broad range of joint investments to make it easier for clients to consume IBM Software on AWS, including integrated go-to-market activities across sales and marketing, channel incentives, developer enablement and training, and solution development for key verticals and industries such as Oil and Gas, Travel and Transportation, and others.

Today, organizations are looking for industry leading services and solutions that allow them to be nimble, flexible, and continuously scalable. This need has been further compounded as demand grows to run software both on-premises and across hybrid cloud environments so they can be scaled globally with high availability.

Moving forward, organizations will be able to run a broad array of the IBM Software catalog as cloud-native services on AWS so they can get up and running quickly to deliver business value. This includes IBM API Connect, IBM Db2, IBM Observability by Instana APM, IBM Maximo Application Suite, IBM Security ReaQta, IBM Security Trusteer, IBM Security Verify, and IBM Watson Orchestrate, with others to follow later this year.

Clients will be able to procure the IBM SaaS products in AWS Marketplace, and then set up and integrate with AWS services, allowing them to get started with just a few clicks, without deploying, updating or managing any of the infrastructure. IBM SaaS products on AWS are designed to provide high availability and elastic scaling on demand to meet unpredictable throughput needs and will offer a native AWS experience with deep integration of AWS services out of the box and support for API, CloudFormation and Terraform templates to enable automation of end-to-end workflows.

For example, using IBM Maximo Application Suite as-a-Service, a manufacturer will be able to take a flexible, demand-based approach to AI-driven asset management to help them monitor and maintain equipment more efficiently, or predict potential mechanical failures to fix them before they create interruptions. By taking advantage of a scalable consumption model for these applications, they can free up capital for innovation, prototyping, tooling and production – and easily expand their usage over time based on evolving market trends and production demands.

Additionally, with more than 10,000 AWS certifications and 13 AWS competencies, IBM Consulting and IBM Security Services can help customers build and deploy modern, secure and more intelligent workflows with IBM Software on AWS.  

The availability of these SaaS products complements IBM’s extensive portfolio of 30+ Software products that currently can be deployed manually in AWS Marketplace and the ability to Bring Your Own License (BYOL) for users that already have their own license so they can deploy the software faster. Together, this gives organizations a comprehensive set of options to build and run software in the way that best meets the unique needs of their business.

“As hybrid cloud continues to become the reality for our clients, IBM is ready and willing to meet them with a flexible and cloud-native software portfolio wherever they are in the cloud or in data centers,” said Tom Rosamilia, Senior Vice President, IBM Software. “By deepening our collaboration with AWS, we’re taking another major step in giving organizations the ability to choose the hybrid cloud model that works best for their own needs and workloads, freeing them up to instead focus on solving their most pressing business challenges.”

“Our collaboration with IBM allows joint customers to accelerate their modernization to the cloud and consume IBM services in a cloud native manner on AWS,” said Matt Garman, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at AWS. “Through our multiyear agreement, AWS will work with IBM to offer a broad array of IBM Software as SaaS on AWS. In addition, we’ll be working together on stronger joint marketing and co-selling programs for customers.” 

“Companies like ours are looking for faster time-to-value and to get up and running quickly. Becoming an AWS cloud-first organization has set us on the path of a digital innovator, using technology to better serve our clients,” said Guilherme Ximenes, Chief Technology Officer at Banco Inter. “The availability of IBM SaaS offerings on AWS will allow businesses like ours to focus on delivering our clients value without worrying about IT infrastructure management, helping us innovate at a faster clip.”

This collaboration underscores the value of IBM, Red Hat, and AWS to provide flexibility and unlock greater business value for customers across industries.  With today’s news, AWS now has over 100+ dedicated resources in IBM Consulting, IBM Software, and Red Hat focusing on business development, technical support and marketing.