CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) has launched a new multi-cloud automation and orchestration service to address across hybrid-IT architectures and diverse cloud environments.
The new service, which is called Runner, is designed to address the potential time and resource drain that businesses face in deploying private clouds.
Runner can reduce private cloud complexity and administrative workload by allowing for fast and easy automation of infrastructure in any cloud or data center including CenturyLink's cloud platform, other third-party cloud providers and on-premise infrastructures and devices. The Runner service allows businesses to quickly provision and modify resources in any cloud services environment.
"While companies are discovering the value operating their business in the cloud, like CenturyLink's Platform, some require their own private clouds or to maintain their own devices, while perhaps others need better distribution in case of failures," said Chris Kent, senior lead product manager for CenturyLink, in a blog post. "These Hybrid-IT solutions can take a lot of time and resources to manage. Runner simplifies infrastructure management by securely connecting users to their infrastructure, whether it is on the CenturyLink Platform, other clouds, or private data centers, allowing both push and pull-based communication."
CenturyLink's service implements an open source automation and orchestration engine as a service that allows users to manage their infrastructure from any location. With that engine, the service provider has created custom services and APIs to enhance job execution capabilities.
Runner allows users to quickly create and run specific jobs, provide status updates, and share with other members in a business via the service's dashboard or API.
The Runner service comes at an interesting time for CenturyLink and its place in the cloud market. Earlier this year, the service provider opened a new development center in St. Louis, a facility where it will locate teams focused on automating and developing services like Runner.
Previously, CenturyLink opened a Seattle-area Cloud Development Center, in October 2014, and its Monroe, La.-based Technology Center of Excellence, in March 2015.
These centers leverage the innovations CenturyLink has made in recent years by acquiring other cloud-based providers such as Appfog, Tier 3 and Orchestrate, a managed database provider.
For more:
- see this blog post
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