IBM Launches Bluemix Container Service with Kubernetes to Fuel Highly Secure and Rapid Development of Cognitive Apps

Founded in open standards, new cloud service combines the power of Kubernetes and Docker with built-in security intelligence

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Mar 20, 2017, 09:00 ET

LAS VEGAS, March 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM InterConnect -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a new container service on Bluemix, its cloud platform, to fuel the speed and simplicity at which developers can build and manage more secure and cognitive apps. Available on IBM Cloud, this service uses Kubernetes, an open-source container orchestration system leveraging a Docker engine.

Delivered with a user-centric experience, IBM Bluemix Container Service automatically provisions, updates and monitors the containers that developers use to create apps, helping them to more easily build cognitive innovations which weave in real-time security intelligence.

At the foundation of the developer movement towards microservices, containers allow teams to rapidly iterate, deliver and operate on the components of an app, without being bound to one underlying infrastructure or cloud provider. These advantages have pushed containers from a nascent app-building tool to one of the primary methods with which developers now create apps. In 2020, Analyst Firm 451 Research's Market Monitor predicts the market opportunity for containers to exceed $2.6 billion.¹

"Building microservices with containers helps developers to do what they do best – invent – by creating and stitching together different services that work in tandem," said Jason McGee, IBM Fellow, VP, IBM Cloud. "Our service does this in a simple, straightforward way by using Kubernetes to automate critical parts of an app's environment, while giving developers the ability to build in cognitive intelligence, blockchain and Internet of Things services."

Security features built into the foundation of containers

Vulnerability Advisor, Bluemix's tool for scanning and flagging security issues within containers, is a critical component of IBM Bluemix Container Service. With this launch, IBM has added a number of features to provide developers with the ability to build security into the foundation of container-based apps running in Kubernetes clusters.

This includes the ability to continuously monitor each container through an integration with the IBM X-Force Exchange, a threat intelligence sharing platform. This platform provides access to volumes of historical and real-time threat data from across the globe – including instant indicators of potential live attacks. Because this intelligence is funneled directly into the new service, each container used is continuously checked for potential malware, breaches or attack vulnerabilities.

The key capabilities of IBM Bluemix Container Service include:

Fully-managed and highly available Kubernetes clusters to remove the burden of deploying, scaling and managing containers when building apps.
Completely native Kubernetes APIs, built on Bluemix, for a seamless environment when working from different cloud infrastructures.
The choice to store and access data across multiple platforms and repositories, without impacting security.
Flexible isolation and capacity controls to design a container cluster to fit specific needs and budget constraints of an app.
Built-in security scanning and integration into IBM's X-Force Exchange, as well as live-scanning and risk analysis capabilities for each container.
Automatic load balancing within a container cluster to increase app performance.
A comprehensive view and analysis of each container cluster's performance metrics to identify possible efficiencies and improvements.
An open, standardized platform allowing for easy integration with open technologies and easy portability of outside workloads.
Rapid access to cloud services such as Watson APIs, blockchain, cloud data services, Internet of Things tools and more.

Since the launch of Kubernetes in 2014, IBM has been a contributor to its development, which was built by the open community. By pairing a Docker-powered engine with the simple management capabilities of Kubernetes, Bluemix developers can access a highly usable interface and dashboard to easily write code within a container and quickly deploy it to multiple apps. This clear view also enables developers to see where and when their code is running at any given point in time.

Now available in beta, Bluemix Container Service expands IBM's commitment to and leadership in open technologies. As a contributor to both Kubernetes and Docker projects for over three years, IBM has helped to create and mature container technology. Bluemix itself is one of the few major cloud platforms built on a container-native foundation, which has enabled developers to build and ship code with containers since its launch in 2014.

"It's fantastic that IBM is progressing open technology by drawing on a major community project – Kubernetes – as the foundation of its new container service," said Alexis Richardson, technical oversight committee chairman of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation and Weaveworks CEO. "Using the flexibility and control of both Kubernetes and Bluemix, we expect to see a greater number of developers accessing and taking advantage of cognitive services and Watson APIs to build apps."

Since its launch, Bluemix has grown rapidly to become one of the largest open public cloud deployments in the world. The cloud platform features over 150 tools, APIs and services spanning categories of data analytics, mobile, Watson, blockchain, security, Internet of Things and more.

InterConnect is IBM's cloud and cognitive conference where more than 20,000 developers, clients and partners are being introduced to the latest advancements in cloud computing through 2,000 sessions, labs and certifications. IBM is positioning both enterprise and startup clients for success with a complete portfolio of cloud services and marquee partnerships, supporting a wide range of applications including: big data, analytics, blockchain and cognitive computing.

For more information, visit: https://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing/. For the IBM InterConnect Press Kit, visit: ibm.biz/IBMInterConnect2017. Engage in the conversation through @IBMCloud and #ibminterconnect.