Softbank will act as a service provider and reseller of VCE Vblock Systems. And, VCE will be available as a systems consultant for installations for Japanese customers, whether in that country or abroad.

Virtual Data Centers and Unified Storage

Vblock Systems utilize technologies from VMware, Cisco and EMC. Softbank, which uses Vblock in its data centers around the world, says it has standarized all of its cloud systems around this solution. Vblock will be offered as an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), and will also be available as an on-site private installation or via a hybrid cloud offering.

The Series 300 edition of the Vblock Systems is designed for enterprise data center needs for unified storage, high-bandwidth applications, and ease of use, and is optimized for virtual data center environments. It is architected on EMC VNX storage, Cisco UCS blades and switches, EMC Ionix UIM/P for provisioning, and VMware vSphere for virtualization .

The Series 700 is the top-of-the-line offering. It is targeted at mid-sized to large enterprise customers running thousands of virtual machines, with the most demanding requirements for ERP, CRM, database, collaboration and messaging. It utilizes Cisco UCS blade servers, Nexus and MDS network switches, EMC VMAX and VMAXe storage arrays, EMC Ionix UIM/P for provisioning, and VMware vSphere for virtualization.

'Globally Standardized Platform'

Softbank also offers Vblock Data Protection, providing enhanced backup and recovery , data replication, business continuity, and workload mobility.

Ken Miyauchi, Representative Director and COO of Softbank Telecom, said in a statement that the relationship with VCE will help extend Softbank's VMware expertise. The alliance is expected to "help more companies lower costs and improve efficiencies through virtualization and cloud computing."

The Vblock System, he said, is a "globally standardized platform that [Softbank] can offer either as a service," or as a private or hybrid cloud solution, with equal cost savings and performance.

VCE CEO Praveen Akkiraju told news media that the joint effort will help companies in Japan "take advantage of the cost and business agility benefits of highly virtualized data centers," while increasing the adoption of cloud computing through use of an intelligent converged infrastructure.

Softbank Telecom provides network communication services, including environments for the mobile Internet, for the Softbank Group of companies. It also provides information and communication technology services to corporate customers through a cloud computing service called White Cloud.

VCE's prepackaged solutions, which it describes as "the industry's first completely integrated IT offering with end-to-end vendor accountability," are available through a partner network. Vertical markets serviced by VCE include financial, public sector, retail, education, healthcare , manufacturing, and utilities.