In my previous blog ,  I noted that IT is increasingly transitioning towards an IT service broker role, taking advantage of multiple sourcing options to become an intermediary of cloud services offered to the business constituents.  The role of IT as a broker of cloud services enables them to add value on behalf of its users by dynamically aggregating, integrating,andcustomizing the delivery of multi-cloud services (whether public, private or a combination of both) to best meet the needs of the business.

It's now time for Cisco to take the next bold step in leading the evolution of the "World of Many Clouds," journey with our partners.  Today, at Cisco Live! in Milan, we announced important news in the significant expansion of our Cloud Portfolio to enable a new Fast IT model. The new products and services in Cisco's extended cloud portfolio include:

• Cisco InterCloud
• Cisco Validated Design (CVD) for Cisco/Red Hat integrated Cloud Management and Provisioning
• Cisco Services for Cloud Strategy, Management, and Operations
• Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud (IAC) 4.0

These solutions that we will detail in coming blogs are designed to provide major benefits for your organization as you move to the world of many clouds. They allow you to

1. Reduce  yourexposure to riskin cloud environments.
2. Enhance yourbusiness flexibilitywith a choice of consumption models in the world of many clouds.
3. Increase agility and reduce TCOby managing and automating your cloud environments

https://youtu.be/_dyeAhsuY_k.

Cisco Intercloud

Our breakthrough hybrid cloud solution, Cisco InterCloud, which lowers total cost of ownership for organizations and paves the way for interoperable and highly secure public, private and hybrid clouds.  The addition of InterCloud to our Cloud portfolio also broadens Cisco's commitment to openness and shows the unique value our partner-led model.

By deploying Cisco InterCloud, enterprises and cloud providers will be able to create an interoperable and highly secure hybrid cloud environment across multiple public and private clouds and between premises-based applications and public clouds while maintaining associated network and security policies. On-demand flexibility and workload portability will allow organizations to cost-effectively select their optimal cloud strategy.

This announcement brings Cisco's cloud provider partners to the forefront in enabling end customers to navigate the challenges of multi-cloud environments (private, public, and hybrid), connect with confidence using Cisco Powered services, and embrace a new  FAST IT approach to their cloud decisions.

With Cisco InterCloud, cloud provider can help to lower the barriers to hybrid cloud adoption by easily extending their customers data centers into the public cloud temporarily or permanently.  Cloud Providers can enable customers to essentially encapsulate a piece of their own data centers with their own security, QoS, and other policy provisions, along with applications and data, into your public cloud.  With they can offer them not only more capacity but also peace of mind.

Cloud providers can also leverage InterCloud to deliver a complete cloud solution, on infrastructure that they manage, that incorporates private, virtual private, and public resources, offering a composite environment that offers the best of all of these.  Cloud providers don't have to compete on commodity service, rather they can differentiate their offerings as a premium service.

Key initial Cloud Providers supporting this new announcement include:
BT, CSC-ServiceMesh, CenturyLink Technology Solutions , and Virtustream.
The adoption of Cisco's InterCloud by other cloud providers through the InterCloud Provider Enablement Platform, will give users even more choice and flexibility.

Other leading technology partners supporting Cisco InterCloud include Citrix, Denali Advanced Integration, EMC, Microsoft, NetApp, Rackspace, VCE and Zerto.

Cisco has decades of experience in networking, network fabrics, and data centers. And now it is using that experience to help you offer your customers highly desirable services from your public cloud and to profit from them.
For more information on this announcement you may want to read

• Cisco Cloud Launch Press Release
• Cisco Cloud Launch Website
• Cisco Announces Breakthrough Hybrid Cloud Solutions by Robert Llyod, President Development and Sales, Cisco
• IT's New Role in Strategic Cloud Services by Scott Clark, Vice President Advanced Services
  A blog  on Cisco Services for Cloud, includingCisco Cloud Consumption Services andCisco Domain Ten Framework 2.0
• Announcing Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud 4.0  by Jason Schroedl,Director Marketing A blog on Cisco cloud management solutions for enterprise and cloud providers and the integration withUCS Director and CiscoPrime Network Services Controller
• Virtualizing the Cloud by Doug Webster Vice President Marketing Service Providers
• Imagine a new IT: A Bold Next Step for the World of Many Cloud [YouTube]
• Many clouds, unlimited choices [infographic]

Read also the Industry Perspectives on Cisco InterCloud

• BT Presse Release :Customers to benefit from new hybrid cloud solutions
• Together Everyone Achieves More -More than just an Acronym ?
   Neil Lock, Director ,BT Compute Portfolio at BT Global Services
• Get to your hybrid cloud in 2014
  Krishna Subramanian, vice president, Product Marketing, Cloud Platforms, Citrix
• Cisco InterCloud and CSC/ServiceMesh Agility Platform: Collaboration Great News for Cloud-Empowered Enterprises
  Eric Pulier, vice president and general manager, Cloud, CSC/ServiceMesh
• An exciting day in Cloudland!
  Bill Barry, chief architect, Denali
• A Flexible, Open & Secure Cloud : How Microsoft and Cisco are Empowering the IT Industry 
  Brad Anderson, Corp Vice President of Cloud and Enterprise Engineering, Microsoft
• Open, secure hybrid clouds within reach with NetApp and Cisco InterCloud
  Phil Brotherton, vice president, Cloud Solutions Group, NetApp
• Open, Hybrid, Interoperable: The Cloud's Future
  John Igoe, vice president, Technology, Rackspace
• Together, Towards The Open Hybrid Cloud
  Bryan Che, general manager, Cloud Business Unit, Red Hat
• Bridging the Cloud with Vblock Systems and Cisco InterCloud
  Trey Layton, chief technology officer, VCE
• It's a Hybrid World
  Stacy Hayes, vice president, Strategic Alliances & Channels, Virtustream
• True Hybrid Cloud -Is It Finally Here?
  Gil Levonai, vice president, Marketing and Products, Zerto