Building a Smarter Planet

4.4
49 reviews
Made for

business users seeking, bare metal servers, infrastructure, and analytics tools.

Not for

minimal cloud functions, simple storage and computing needs. 

Features

Cloud Servers

IBM's SoftLayer provides bare metal servers and flexible virtual servers in a single platform. It is accessible all on demand and billed on monthly or hourly terms with no long-term commitments. IBM Softlayer offers complete infrastructure control.

Features

  • On Demand deployment and customization
  • All services are integrated on a single platform
  • Flex Images technology to move images between bare metal and virtual servers

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IBM Bluemix

IBM Bluemix is IBM's cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS). Bluemix is based on Cloud Foundry open technology and runs on IBM's SoftLayer infrastructure. It is integrated with DevOps to build, run, deploy and manage applications on the cloud. Bluemix supports several programming languages including Java, Node.js, Go, PHP, Python, Ruby Sinatra, Ruby on Rails and can be extended to support other languages.

Features

  • Powerful, open-source technologies to power apps
  • Access to IBM and 3rd party services to power apps and services
  • Secure access to data and applications, whether on-premises or in the cloud

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Additional Computing Services

Software

Object Storage

SoftLayer object storage is a scalable object-based storage solution based on OpenStack Swift Archive where users can manage, and serve large amounts of unstructured data such as virtual machine images, media, and email archives. Object storage includes pay-as-you-go pricing, built-in SFTP, full integration with IBM's content delivery network, and the ability to store, retrieve, and leverage data. Capacity can be added when necessary.

Features

  • Scaling to practically infinite capacity
  • Objects written multiple times per cluster, with auto-healing capabilities in case of drive failure
  • Data organization with tagging, search, and indexing capabilities

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Backup

Softlayer Backup helps users keep identical copies of data. SoftLayer provides turnkey EVault and R1Soft automatic backup solutions. EVault Backup is an enterprise-level backup storage and disaster recovery solution hosted on an internal iSCSI mount, available for local access at each data center. Backups can be set to standard or custom schedules. R1Soft Server Backup provides high-performance disk-to-disk server backup, featuring a central management and data repository. It protects data at block level, and unique disk blocks on the server are stored only once across all recovery points, increasing storage efficiency.

Features

  • Custom schedules while targeting full systems, specific directories, or individual files
  • Supports for bare metal as well as virtual server restore and recovery
  • Monitoring, reporting, and alerting tools

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Additional Storage Services

Block Storage
File Storage
Mass Storage Servers
Content Delivery Network

Load Balancing

SoftLayer load balancing solutions allow configurability and flexibility to manage the traffic and resource usage of server nodes in your environment. Users have the ability to distribute traffic loads so that no single device gets overwhelmed. Local, global, and high availability options can be activated, changed, and deactivated at any time.

Features

  • Management with SoftLayer API and Web portal
  • Hardware firewall options
  • Responsive balance during peak traffic times

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Network Appliances

Rather than provisioning multiple hardware and software solutions to serve as routers, firewalls, and load balancers, users can implement software-defined networking solutions to create all-in-one network appliances. Appliances are then deployed on SoftLayer bare metal servers with network settings set and tweaked. Infrastructure’s traffic management is updated in real time.

Features

  • Advanced load balancing functionality and application-aware health monitoring
  • Application compression, caching, and optimization
  • Security add-ons for appliances

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Additional Networking Services

Direct Link
Domain Services

Controls

A single set of controls for all SoftLayer infrastructure that can be accessed via API, Web portal, or mobile application. The SoftLayer customer portal is a web interface for remotely managing SoftLayer services and account. The portal gives complete access to more than 200 services.

Features

  • View performance details and control all functions of bare metal and virtual servers
  • Deploy servers, firewalls, new backup solutions, and other additions to the SoftLayer environment
  • Real-time support and tutorials

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Server Monitoring & Reporting

SoftLayer's server comes with monitoring resources to access reports and evaluate the cloud infrastructure performance. For more involved monitoring needs, IBM offers additional options to meet advanced monitoring and reporting needs for greater awareness and visibility.

Features

  • access to server logs and performance reports
  • Pre-set alerts and/or action responses
  • Customized monitoring

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Additional Management Services

Management Tools
Managed Hosting

Security

Encryption:
  • In-Transit: SSL
  • At Rest: AES-256
File Management:
  •  Role Based Access
  • Retention Time: 30 days default
  • Data Destruction: Server Wipe or Destruction
Audits & Compliance:

Performance

Performance:
  •  Service Level Agreement (SLA)
  • Guaranteed Uptime: 100%
  • Ease of Use: 4/5
Global Infrastructure:
  • Data Center Zones: 40
  • North America Locations: 8
  • Europe Locations: 5
  • Asia Locations: 3
Basic Support:
  •  Phone
  •  Chat
  •  Tutorials
  •  Premium Support Available

Reviews

4.4
49 reviews
Sort by
 
Survey Response
May 03 2017

IBM Cloud has Worked Very Well

5.0

Features: 
5.0
Ease of use: 
4.0
Support: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
See More
the reviewer
 
IT Services
 
201-500 employees
 
Monroe, MI
Director, IT
1
The Review

Recommendations

I would recommend a thorough comparison of features and costs to make sure you're arriving upon the best service for your business and its needs.

Experience

We selected IBM cloud based on prior experience with the IBM brand, recommendations, and cost for quality of service. We needed a better way of managing our storage needs without too much added cost. We use app integration, message integration, and secured sharing of data across platforms. IBM Cloud has worked very well for our organization. The service has helped streamline our processes, making it easier to share and receive data, including files and apps across platforms.

Pros

IBM Cloud provides remote access to necessary data at a cost-conscious rate. It does exactly what you'd expect and need from a Cloud provider.

Cons

There are so many different features offered that it can be difficult to familiarize all necessary parties with the features most useful.

 
Survey Response
Dec 08 2015

Trusted IBM Cloud Virtualization

5.0

Features: 
4.5
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
See More
the reviewer
 
Advertising & marketing
 
501 -1000 employees
 
Phoenix, AZ
Director, IT
1
The Review
Recommendations

Set-up a meeting with IBM and tell them all about your company and your goals, and ask how their products can help you achieve your goals.

Experience

Just knowing we had the backing of a well-established leader like IBM, was the main reason we selected IBM and their cloud products. We've had a great relationship with IBM for many years, and adding their cloud products seemed like a natural fit. We use IBM cloud's virtualization and management products. This service has performed very well, and it's helped us to be efficient in several aspects of our computing areas.

Pros

The ease of use and the ease of learning the products.

Cons

Nothing really, except maybe the initial cost of the products.

 
Survey Response
Dec 01 2015

Strong Development Platforms with IBM Bluemix

3.5

Features: 
4.0
Ease of use: 
3.5
Support: 
3.5
Willing to refer: 
n/a
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the reviewer
 
Business services
 
1001-5000 employees
 
Philadelphia, PA
Manager, IT
1
The Review
Recommendations

If you are heading down the software-as-a-service path or see that as a growing part of your overall business, the IBM cloud solution would be a good, relatively-user-friendly product that will help increase the productivity of your employees.

Experience

We are trying to grow our software-as-a-service (SaaS) portion of our business and after struggling with our in-house cloud solution, we elected to choose the IBM bluemix product as our primary cloud platform (we also use VMware to help with virtualization of our many servers). It has allowed us to start monetizing many of our applications and services and has provided a fairly secure way of backing up our software and data repositories. We use IBM's cloud infrastructure as a service as part of IBM bluemix along with VMware vcloud product in order to enhance the overall networking and security among our various sites. We also use IBM bluemix to create, develop and manage our software applications that we have, and are in the process of, productizing. We are still evaluating the overall benefit of the IBM bluemix product as a few sites are still awaiting rollout of the product. However, we have seen productivity increases in the range of 10-15% thus far as an initial 60-90 day learn curve. Having many of our software backups stored on the cloud is reducing our need for dedicated storage hardware as well.

Pros

The developers enjoy the software/development platforms that are available to them, particularly cloud foundry as we do a significant amount of development work in java and ruby. Having the ability to push more data/software to the cloud is allowing us to repurpose hardware for more r&d.

Cons

Other than the 60-90 day learning curve and some moderate difficulty in integrating this product with our VMware solution, there are really no "show-stopping" cons.

 
Survey Response
May 15 2017

Great Speed and Storage Capacity

5.0

Features: 
5.0
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
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the reviewer
 
IT Services
 
5001+ employees
 
Cheyenne, WY
Director, IT
1
The Review

Recommendations

Joining IBM Cloud is a great move for your organization.

Experience

We chose IBM for its storage capacity, speed, accessibility, and speed of information. We needed lots of storage space. It has been carried out efficiently and has brought many benefits such as speed and storage capacity.

Pros

We like IBM for their great advice and solutions; also the quality of its services.

Cons

Maybe the costs, but overall everything is excellent.

 
Survey Response
May 13 2017

Flexibility, Time Savings, Performance

5.0

Features: 
5.0
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
See More
the reviewer
 
IT Services
 
501 -1000 employees
 
Tampa, FL
President, IT
1
The Review

Recommendations

Have a thorough talk with someone from Oracle to make sure all of your needs are covered within the software.

Experience

We needed a public cloud that offered multiple suites of applications aimed at various business needs. We use the application suites: enterprise resource planning, enterprise performance management, analytics, data; Oracle Cloud Platform: data management, application development, business analytics. It has performed very well. I like the aesthetics of the interface. It allows us to save more time and get things done more quickly.

Pros

I really enjoy the 'around me' feature that alerts us to new sales opportunities in our area.

Cons

Just some bugs here and there. Nothing else to complain about.

 
Survey Response
Apr 28 2017

IBM is Trusted and Competent

4.0

Features: 
4.0
Ease of use: 
3.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
4.0
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the reviewer
 
IT Services
 
1001-5000 employees
 
Palm Coast, FL
Executive, IT
1
The Review

Recommendations

Get your ducks in a row and know your direction before beginning.

Experience

IBM has a trusted history and a competent vision of future. It changes as often as our needs do. It has performed well with the only speed bumps being our challenges utilizing everything to our benefit.

Pros

Its practicality offers utility with ease.

Cons

There were some growing pains.

 
Survey Response
Dec 10 2015

Industry-Specific Tools

5.0

Features: 
5.0
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
4.5
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the reviewer
 
Information technology
 
501 -1000 employees
 
New York, NY
Director, IT
1
The Review
Recommendations

It is important to keep full coordination between main system and possible external tools provided by third party

Experience

IBM is a leader in such technology areas. It provides specific tools to achieve our main security and efficiency goals. It is utilized for data, software design, improved security, space, and mobility along with targeted tests. It has been excellent so far because our systems run in top form with great results.

Pros

Data space, more security and back-up storage

Cons

Maybe some higher costs but its worth it!

 
Survey Response
Dec 06 2015

A Platform for Cloud Implementations

4.5

Features: 
4.5
Ease of use: 
4.0
Support: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
n/a
See More
the reviewer
 
Information technology
 
501 -1000 employees
 
New York, NY
Director, IT
1
The Review
Recommendations

Do your research and see if there is a fit within your company structure

Experience

This platform was recommended by various third party sources. We use it as a platform for cloud implementation. It has created more efficiency within the business.

Pros

Very detailed oriented system

Cons

No cons.

 
Survey Response
Dec 03 2015

IBM SmartCloud Performs Well

5.0

Features: 
4.5
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
4.5
Willing to refer: 
n/a
See More
the reviewer
 
Telecommunications
 
201-500 employees
 
Washington, DC
Senior Manager, IT
1
The Review
Recommendations

Its secured, reliable , and easy to manage

Experience

We had downtime and speed issues. We use it for accessing document, security, etc. It's given us more security to access documents, more storage, and better management.

Pros

Smart cloud performs well

Cons

Nothing

 
Survey Response
Dec 03 2015

The Best Service Available

5.0

Features: 
4.5
Ease of use: 
5.0
Support: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
n/a
See More
the reviewer
 
Information technology
 
201-500 employees
 
Los Angeles, CA
Director, IT
1
The Review
Recommendations

It’s the right choice if you want the best.

Experience

IBM is at the forefront of technology and was an easy first choice for my company. Any type of storage capacity use or issues is handled by it. It has performed very well and the main benefit is that it’s the best service out there.

Pros

It’s easy to use and gets you the results that your company needs.

Cons

None