Amazon could be tapping into a huge federal cloud market, fueled by the US government’s $76 billion IT budget, including $20 billion for infrastructure, according to a report from the Puget Sound Business Journal.
Amazon’s Virtual Private Cloud may be the answer for governments that want the advantages to the cloud without the security risks posed by shared servers.
IBM Advances Cloud Initiatives, Buys Cast Iron Systems. Cast Iron Systems is a privately held company based in Mountain View, CA, that provides cloud integration software, appliances and services. Some of their main customers include Allianz, NEC, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, Dow Jones, Schumacher Group, ShoreTel, Sports Authority, Time Warner, Westmont University and many others. With the addition of Cast Iron Systems to IBM’s portfolio, it advances IBM’s capabilities for a hybrid cloud model, which lets enterprises blend data from on-premise applications with public and private cloud systems.
“The integration challenges Cast Iron Systems is tackling are crucial to clients who are looking to adopt alternative delivery models to manage their businesses,” IBM WebSphere general manager Craig Hayman said in a statement. “The combination of IBM and Cast Iron Systems will make it easy for clients to integrate business applications, no matter where those applications reside. This will give clients greater agility and as a result, better business outcomes.”
–Net revenue of $178.8 million grew 23.2% year-over-year and 5.5% from Q4 2009
–Adjusted EBITDA(1) of $59.4 million grew 31.8% year-over-year and 6.1% from Q4 2009
–Achieved adjusted EBITDA margin of 33.2%, up from 31.1% in Q1 2009 and 33.0% in Q4 2009
–Net income of $9.8 million grew 48.9% year-over-year and 8.6% from Q4 2009
“We are very pleased with our performance in Q1 as we accelerated revenue growth while improving margins,” said Lanham Napier, president and chief executive officer. “2010 will be an exciting year for Rackspace. Our advantages as the leader and specialist in hosted computing, and provider of Fanatical Support(R), are validated every day by customers who pay us premium rates, stay with us for years, and recommend us to their friends. Our customers are incredibly loyal. We aspire to serve them so well that we will be known as the most trusted company in all of IT. We have earned a strong position in the market, and we will create more and more value for our stakeholders. We see the opportunity, and we intend to grab it.”
