IBM has announced a partnership with open app distribution platform Docker that will help businesses build and run the next generation of IBM Cloud and on-premises apps.
The company says Docker's open platform will let businesses deploy next-gen IBM apps "more efficiently, quickly and cost effectively."
"Enterprises can use the combination of IBM and Docker to create and manage a new generation of portable distributed applications that are rapidly composed of discrete interoperable Docker containers, have a dynamic lifecycle, and can scale to run in concert anywhere from the developer's laptop to hundreds of hosts in the cloud," IBM said in an announcement.
Docker's flagship product is the Docker Hub Enterprise, a turnkey solution that lets developers focus on creating multi-container and multi-host apps and services and integrating them with the 60,000 other "Dockerized" services in the Hub.
In addition developers can integrate these apps and services with IBM's other enterprise services and safeguard them with IBM security.
To kick things off IBM is debuting its own Docker-based container service, IBM Containers, that it will deliver as part of Bluemix, IBM's own open cloud app development platform.
My dear Watson
IBM also announced today that its Watson-powered Analytics tool for businesses is now in open beta.
Enterprises can use Watson Analytics to automate processes like data preparation, predictive analysis and visual storytelling, the company says.
Business users can now access the cloud-based "freemium" service beta from any desktop or mobile device at watsonanalytics.com.
