Kyndryl, the IT services business that IBM spun off in early November, has formed a global strategic partnership with Google to support their joint customers in the cloud. The deal comes a month after Kyndryl struck a similar deal with Microsoft, encompassing Azure cloud hosting and support for products such as Office365 and Teams, and a smaller partnership with VMware, as well as a certification agreement with SAP. [ Stay on budget with these 6 cloud cost management tips, learn the 5 fundamentals of effective cloud management, and beware hidden cloud migration gotchas. | Get the latest cloud ..read more

While corporate data centers supported by managed infrastructure services were once in the background supporting business operations, they have now moved to the forefront of strategic planning and targeted investment decisions.  Infrastructure and operations (I&O) models must change to empower businesses to embrace the digital age, innovate, and integrate their cloud-first strategies. To read this article in full, please click here (Insider Story ..read more

Kyndryl has named Microsoft its first (and for the moment only) Premier Global Alliance Partner, just a week after the managed infrastructure services business split from its former owner IBM. For Kyndryl, the separation from IBM was all about being free to address a broader share of the IT services market, and it expects this new partnership with Microsoft will give it access to new customers and new technologies to do just that. To read this article in full, please click here ..read more

Kyndryl, formerly IBM’s managed infrastructure services business, is now an independent company. On Nov. 4, 2021, it began trading independently on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker KD. Although there are still close ties between the two companies — IBM retains a 19.9% stake in Kyndryl, which will remain one of its largest customers — the separation is opening up new opportunities on both sides. [ Discover the latest IT outsourcing trends, the top IT outsourcing service providers, and the 11 keys to a successful outsourcing relationship. | Beware these common outsourcing myths, mista ..read more

The top four outsourcers on Everest Group’s annual ranking of the top IT service providers remain unchanged this year, with Accenture taking the top stop for the fifth year in a row. Coming in behind Accenture are TCS, Cognizant, and Wipro. All four continue to be the preferred partners for large enterprise buyers, particularly during the uncertainty of 2020. “Despite early challenges during COVID, all of them continued to be strong on execution even as service resilience and India as a reliable location for global IT services delivery came into question,” says Abhishek Singh, partner with Eve ..read more

Kyndryl is the new name for IBM’s managed infrastructure services business, which will spin off as a separate company by the end of 2021. Initially, little will change for customers — except perhaps the logo on their invoice — but in time Kyndryl’s split from IBM will allow both businesses to innovate and to work with new partners. What does Kyndryl do? Essentially, Kyndryl does exactly what the managed infrastructure services unit of IBM’s Global Technology Services segment did: outsource the management of enterprises’ IT infrastructure, whether it came from IBM or another vendor.  ..read more

Managed service provider defined A managed service provider (MSP) is an outsourcer contracted to remotely manage or deliver IT services such as network, application, infrastructure, or security management to a client company by assuming full responsibility for those services, determining proactively what technologies and services are needed to fulfill the client’s needs. Services delivered by an MSP are delivered by employees located at the client’s locations, or elsewhere. MSPs can also bundle in hardware, software, or cloud technology as part of their offerings. [ Discover the latest IT outs ..read more

The decision to shift some or all in-house IT operations to a managed service provider (MSP), particularly in an age of technology disruption, pandemics, and evolving business models, can mark a crucial step toward ensuring long-term IT and enterprise success. To read this article in full, please click here (Insider Story ..read more

Most companies will face the moment where digital transformation will come to the top of the executive stack of priorities.  Typically, one or two executives are selected as the sponsors tasked with putting together the business case and the team to lead the organization into the future.  To read this article in full, please click here (Insider Story ..read more

Being diligent about service-level agreements (SLAs) has always been important for IT organizations working with IT service and cloud providers. But understanding how to negotiate, structure, manage, measure, and report on these metrics is more crucial than ever. “Given digital transformation and the spending cuts across IT and business lines, it is critical to confirm the expected outcomes in advance relative to the IT spend, otherwise IT leaders will be disillusioned and disappointed in the results,” says Dave Jordan, vice president and global head of consulting and services integration at T ..read more