Cloud News South Africa

IBM software reaches 92 countries via AWS partnership

IBM announced a dramatic expansion of its software availability, pushing into 92 countries through a partnership with the AWS Marketplace. The move highlights the growing demand for cloud-based software solutions and IBM's intent to capitalise on that trend.
Ria Pinto, GM and technology lead of IBM South Africa
Ria Pinto, GM and technology lead of IBM South Africa

Central to the push is an emphasis on the African market, with 18 countries gaining access to IBM's portfolio.

This comes as analysts predict Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings purchased through cloud marketplaces will reach a staggering $45bn in value by 2025.

IBM looks to streamline the procurement process, allowing customers to tap into their AWS spending commitments to pay for IBM's software.

"IBM's global expansion with AWS Marketplace opens up innovation opportunities for our joint customers across the world," said Matt Yanchyshyn, GM of AWS Marketplace and Partner Services at AWS.

IBM is betting on a growing need for its core technologies, including:

Watson AI platform: Tools for building and managing AI workloads.
Database solutions: Including the flagship Db2 Cloud Pak for Data.
Automation and security software: Portfolios built on Red Hat OpenShift.

The expansion also includes 15 new IBM Consulting professional services tailored to AWS, emphasising data modernisation, security, and industry-specific solutions.

African opportunity

"Cloud computing is currently experiencing remarkable growth in South Africa," said Ria Pinto, GM and technology lead of IBM South Africa.

IBM sees an opening in providing tools that allow both large and small organisations in Africa to modernise their infrastructure and accelerate their digital transformation.

Let's do Biz