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Hootsuite moves social media management toolkit to IBM Softlayer cloud
Social media management dashboard maker shifts App Directory to IBM cloud
Social media management platform Hootsuite has expanded its partnership with IBM by agreeing to move more of its operations to the Softlayer infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) platform.
Hootsuite’s flagship offering is a social media dashboard that allows businesses and consumers to manage multiple Twitter accounts, while providing them with tools to schedule when to send out posts and monitor how well they are received by their intended audience.
To expand the platform’s functionality, users can also deploy plug-ins and extensions that are offered through the Hootsuite App Directory, which will soon be migrated to the IBM Softlayer cloud.
Sandy Carter, general manager of cloud ecosystems and developers at IBM, said: “IBM and Hootsuite continue to work together to drive the integration of social and cloud to empower clients with the ability to make data-driven decisions quickly and easily.”
Hootsuite says the move will provide App Directory with a scalable, secure and localised infrastructure to run on, while making it easier for the firm to roll out new features and functionality.
Aaron Budge, vice-president of operations and IT at Hootsuite, said: “IBM Cloud offers high-performance, granular control and flexibility. When you couple that with its globally integrated footprint, we will have the ability to move data between datacentres efficiently, which will provide resilience, flexibility and control."
This is not the first technology collaboration between the two organisations – IBM recently added its Silverpop email marketing offering to the Hootsuite App Directory.
Read more about IBM cloud
- IBM has embarked on a renewed, three-pronged push into the open-source world to encourage and support developers working on business-focused cloud apps.
- IBM has created a business unit to develop Watson cognitive computing to support healthcare apps written for the Apple Watch.
“We have had a great relationship with IBM for more than two years and are excited about expanding our relationship with new product integrations and the ability to leverage IBM technology,” said Budge.
The pair have also embarked on a social media skills push by rolling out a programme that will give students at 8,000 university faculties access to training on data analytics and cloud technologies.
The programme will be accessible to students already enrolled on IBM’s Academic Initiative, who will be offered several months' free access to educational resources that will show them how to make the most of the Hootsuite platform.
