Amazon and Cisco join forces to create hybrid app development platform

Cisco Hybrid Solution for Kubernetes on Amazon

Amazon and Cisco have teamed up to make it easier for developers to build apps across cloud and traditional on-premise architecture, switching them from one to the other when required.

Cisco Hybrid Solution for Kubernetes on Amazon allows developers to create their apps either on AWS's cloud service or on their traditional servers in containers.

Kip Compton, senior vice president of Cisco's Cloud Platform and Solutions group explained that developers are often expected to work in fragmented environments, with their applications hosted either on the cloud or in traditional on-premise environments. But when switching to a hybrid model, it's often a complicated process to get up and running, with technologies, teams, and vendors needing to work closely together to make sure apps can move from cloud to on-premise seamlessly.

That's where containers and specifically, Google-developed Kubernetes comes in.

"Containers and Kubernetes have emerged as key technologies to give developers more agility, portability, and speed both in how applications are developed and in how they are deployed," Compton explained in a blog post. "But, enterprises have been struggling to realize the full potential of these technologies because of the complexity of managing containerized applications in a hybrid environment."

Cisco Hybrid Solution for Kubernetes on Amazon combines the Amazon Elastic Container Service for Kubernetes, with Cisco's Container Platform and Cisco's on-premise infrastructure to create a hybrid solution for businesses wanting to use a hybrid approach without the extra work.

When setting up apps, developers can choose to deploy them on either AWS or on their on-premise architecture running Cisco's Container Platform. And if they want to switch the applications from one to the other, they can do so. This means businesses can take advantage of the cloud's flexibility with the privacy and regulatory approval of traditional, on-premise architecture at the same time.

Cisco Hybrid Solution for Kubernetes on Amazon will set back organisations from $65,000 and will include specialised hardware as well as Cisco's software/ The product will be available from the end of November.

Clare Hopping
Freelance writer

Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.