CSC expands cloud management capabilities with ServiceMesh acquisition

With a continued push toward the cloud, CSC has acquired enterprise cloud management startup ServiceMesh for an undisclosed sum of money. The move will allow CSC to continue its transformation into what it calls “a next-generation IT company.”

ServiceMesh is the third in a series of CSC acquisitions made since the company underwent a strategic transformation under new leadership 20 months ago. Executives have stated they are positioning the company for the high-growth segments of the technology solutions and services marketplace, including cloud computing, big data, cyber security, and next-generation applications. To that end, CSC acquired big data firms Infochimps in August and 42Six Solutions last October.

[ Also on InfoWorld: Mirantis brings enterprise-ready OpenStack distribution to the cloud | Pivotal adds mobile platform development with Xtreme Labs acquisition | Track the latest trends in virtualization in InfoWorld’s Virtualization Report newsletter. ]

This latest acquisition provides CSC with the ServiceMesh Agility Platform, a software solution that automates the deployment and management of enterprise applications and platforms across private, public, and hybrid cloud environments. The platform is a single, policy-driven, integrated control point for governance, compliance, and security across cloud applications and environments, providing employees with self-service access to applications, platforms, and services.

CSC is clearly betting that in the near future, enterprise customers will be leveraging cloud services across a variety of providers rather than sticking with a one-vendor-fits-all approach.

“As an agent for cloud management, ServiceMesh is right at the point of consumerization for next-generation enterprise applications,” said CSC chief technology officer Dan Hushon. “With ServiceMesh, we will empower an ecosystem of enterprise software providers by lowering the friction for companies to execute a multivendor hybrid cloud strategy while maintaining central governance, policy and administration.”

Hushon said that CSC would provide the modernization, transformation, and migration services and IT operational management while ServiceMesh would allow for the cataloging of applications into a storefront, and the policy directed deployment into an open choice of cloud targets.

Eric Pulier, CEO of ServiceMesh, added, “Our software will allow CSC to reinforce its global independent technology stance. CSC will also employ their world-class services capability to help clients onboard their applications and services to this next generation IT environment at a scale and speed that will allow us to dominate the market. ServiceMesh will extend CSC’s cloud leadership and put us in a strong position to be a trusted advisor to enterprises looking to transform IT to the new cloud operating model.”

Forrester research analyst Dave Bartoletti said CSC picked up one of the few independent hybrid/multicloud management vendors still around, and he identified three reasons why he believes the acquisition makes perfect sense.

First, CSC needed a unified service catalog, orchestration, and governance platform to pull together its successful and growing cloud business and enable faster enterprise cloud migrations to its multiple cloud offerings (public, virtual private, private), Bartoletti said.

Second, he noted that CSC needed to maintain some degree of cloud neutrality, and ServiceMesh provides that ability having built its reputation as a cloud-neutral governance and orchestration platform.

Finally, Bartoletti pointed out that everyone else already has an orchestrator:

HP and IBM have catalogs and orchestrators built to bridge their public IaaS platforms, converged infrastructures, and customers’ existing kit. BMC and CA have rich stacks of ITSM-derived cloud infrastructure management tools. VMware and Microsoft have cloud automation+orchestration, too, and are both now in the public IaaS game. And every one of these claims to be cloud agnostic and is chasing the DevOps buyer. With CSC’s IaaS offerings gaining steam so quickly, it needed an answer to these rich competitive stacks.

After the acquisition, ServiceMesh will continue to operate within CSC’s cloud unit. However, the purchase will allow ServiceMesh to grow and expand even faster than before by allowing it to tap into CSC global sales, marketing, delivery, and solution resources. Existing customers will be able to leverage CSC’s global network of industry consultants, application developers, software engineers, cyber security experts, and infrastructure professionals.

Together, CSC and ServiceMesh will offer enterprises increased agility, flexibility, and the opportunity to fully leverage their multivendor cloud landscape.

While financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed, you can bet it came with a substantial price tag.

The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of next year.

This article, “CSC expands cloud management capabilities with ServiceMesh acquisition,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in virtualization and cloud computing at InfoWorld.com.