IBM announced its acquisition of Pliant, a premier network and IT infrastructure automation product provider. This strategic move equips IBM with advanced capabilities to automate and streamline network and IT infrastructure operations. By integrating these functions at the application layer, Pliant empowers developers with enhanced control, simplifying the provisioning and management of infrastructure. The acquisition underscores IBM’s commitment to optimizing infrastructure resource provisioning, traffic, and configuration management across conventional and cloud-based networks.
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Simplifying Complex Network Environments
With the rapidly complex and varied enterprise network environments, robust automation tools are more critical than ever. IBM’s recent acquisition of Pliant addresses this need by offering clients a powerful tool to streamline and secure their infrastructure and network automation. This tool stands out for its ability to integrate seamlessly, automate comprehensively, and connect various platforms, services, and applications within any IT environment.
Pliant, founded in 2017, is known for its comprehensive suite of ready-to-use integrations with numerous third-party vendors. These integrations facilitate the incorporation of technologies through API or command-line interface (CLI). This capability makes Pliant a versatile partner in automation, complementing other API strategies and supporting private cloud and on-premises data center deployments.
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Enhancing Accessibility and Innovation in IT Automation
Pliant’s availability as both client-managed software and a software-as-a-service (SaaS) product is a testament to IBM’s commitment to making advanced IT automation tools and skills accessible to a broader audience of developers and engineers. This approach aligns with IBM’s strategy of empowering users through low-code and no-code solutions, democratizing technology, and simplifying complex tasks.
This acquisition indicates IBM’s dedication to innovation, merging research and development with strategic purchases to meet the evolving needs of businesses. By integrating Pliant into its software portfolio, which includes SevOne, Cloud Pak for Network Automation (CP4NA), Hybrid Cloud Mesh (HCM), IBM NS1 Connect, and Edge Application Manager, IBM significantly enhances its offering. These solutions aim to provide comprehensive capabilities for network infrastructure observability, connectivity, control, and automation, especially in hybrid cloud environments, addressing the challenges of managing increasingly complex network infrastructures.
The announcement represented IBM’s second acquisition in 2024, underscoring its strategic expansion efforts since Arvind Krishna assumed the CEO role in April 2020. Under Krishna’s leadership, IBM completed the acquisition of over 40 companies, aiming to enhance its hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. The financial terms of the Pliant deal were not disclosed, maintaining the confidentiality customary in such business transactions.
FAQs
1. Why did IBM acquire Pliant?
IBM acquired Pliant to enhance its network and IT automation capabilities, aligning with its strategy to provide comprehensive automation solutions that simplify complex network environments.
2. How does Pliant’s technology benefit IBM’s clients?
Pliant’s technology will enable IBM’s clients to automate their network and IT infrastructure more efficiently, offering simplified provisioning, management, and integration of services and applications across diverse environments.
3. Will Pliant still be available as a standalone product?
While specific details about product availability may evolve, IBM plans to integrate Pliant’s technology into its existing portfolio, potentially offering standalone and integrated solutions.
4. How does Pliant integrate with existing IBM technologies?
Pliant complements IBM’s current software offerings, including SevOne, Cloud Pak for Network Automation, and others, by providing additional automation capabilities and supporting hybrid cloud environments.
5. What makes Pliant’s approach to automation unique?
Pliant’s use of low-code and no-code platforms makes it distinctive, enabling a wider range of professionals to implement complex IT and network automation tasks without deep coding knowledge.
6. Will the acquisition affect current Pliant customers?
IBM intends to support and potentially expand the services available to current Pliant customers, enhancing the value of their existing investments.
7. Are there any planned changes to Pliant’s product offerings?
While IBM may further develop and integrate Pliant’s technology, the immediate focus is on incorporating Pliant’s existing capabilities into IBM’s portfolio to enhance automation solutions.
8. What future developments can clients expect from this acquisition?
Clients can anticipate advancements in automation technologies that streamline the management of network and IT infrastructures, improving efficiency and reducing complexity in hybrid cloud environments.
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