Open Source Software Support Helps Enterprises Stay Always-On

Many organizations are adopting enterprise IT solutions that are based on open source technology because of their pace of innovation and the prospect of becoming part of a dynamic and open community. IBM has a long history of supporting and contributing open source projects such as Linux, Apache and OpenStack.

Solutions based on Open Source software are, by their nature, multi-vendor. As the sophistication and scale of these solutions grow, it can be harder to get timely and focused support. For enterprises running complex software stacks, this could mean contending with multiple vendors to get the full support they need, often forcing them to devote in-house resources – including an already stretched-thin IT staff – to solve problems on their own.

Business operations and services rely on near-perfect system availability. Enterprises cannot afford downtime when they have an installation, configuration or code-related defect. They need responsive, robust support for their open source software and Linux operating systems so they can prevent interruptions that diminish quality of service.

Open Source Support Under One Roof

As organizations look for software solutions that are economical, flexible and scalable to meet the always-on demands of business, open source technologies are becoming a critical part of enterprise IT architecture. By turning to IBM Technology Support Services for open source software and Linux products, enterprises can finally get the other piece of the puzzle with the comprehensive and immediate IT support they need. IBM Technology Support Services can support your open source software ecosystem, including all major distributions of the Linux operating system, many virtualization products and more than 100 community versions of open source software.

Unlike many other service providers that support only their own software distributions, IBM is a single source of remote support and guidance for your open source software stack. We get to the heart of any issue with diagnostic support that includes root cause analysis and has faster response times for just about every level of issue severity, saving your enterprise time and resources. But it doesn’t end there: We offer insight and guidance on how you can best leverage open source software to enhance system interoperability.

With 62,000 engineers certified in open source and nearly $1 billion invested in its development, IBM believes all organizations can benefit from a healthy open source ecosystem.

Robust Partnerships with Industry Leaders

As part of our constant effort to widen the scope of open source support services, IBM has robust partnerships with the open source software providers Red Hat, Suse and Rogue Wave Software. These relationships recently expanded with IBM now offering software defined storage support for Red Hat. Not only do organizations benefit from the agility and scalability of Red Hat technology but they also receive the unified, around-the-clock, cross-platform backing of IBM Technology Support Services. Our superior support includes a 99-percent fix rate on Linux products, access to our skilled open source consultants and an added layer of support from the vendor itself for tricky fixes.

As enterprises turn to open source technology to modernize their IT infrastructures, they at the same time need complete and always-available support to troubleshoot and solve problems that never seem to happen at the right time. IBM Technology Support Services relieves enterprises of the burden of maintenance so they can reduce support costs, increase productivity and focus on their core business initiatives.

Ready to Learn More?

If you want to learn more about IBM’s open source support, check out IBM Think 2018, where Camilla Sharpe, a global business manager for IBM Technology Support Services, will lead three presentations that will explore our support offerings.

Camilla will co-present “Practical Advice for Supporting Your Open Source Software” (Session ID 7163A) with Rouge Wave Global VP of Open Source Michael McCain, at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 19. And along with Red Hat Director of Partner Solutions and Technology George Drapeau, she’ll co-present “IBM and Red Hat: Open Source Options for Optimizing Your IT Infrastructure” (Session ID 7372A) at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 20.

She’ll also co-present “Make Storage Smarter: How Software-Defined Storage Differs From Legacy Solutions, and When to Use It” (Session ID 9325A) at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 22.

And Camilla will twice host the think tank session “Software Support for the Modern Data Center” (Session ID 7226A and 7226B). These 20-minute sessions will be held on Tuesday, March 20, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Modern Infrastructure Campus.

Missed Chairman Ginni Rometty’s Think 2018 keynote or a session? Watch a replay.

Topics: Emerging Technologies, Enterprise IT, Tech Support, Technology Support Services