Sources said that IBM on Tuesday will launch the centerpiece of its effort to extend its automated-provisioning technology for on-demand computing into the ISV and Systems Integrator world.
The new business partner initiative, dubbed Orchestration and Provisioning Library (OPAL), pulls together a series of tools, best practices, education, validation testing and promotional activities to help third parties exploit the extensible workflow engine within the IBM Tivoli Intelligent ThinkDynamic Orchestrator and the IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager. These two components provide the foundation for automation in IBM’s On-demand initiative.
According to sources, OPAL, which will be detailed at IBM’s PartnerWorld conference in Las Vegas, is comprised of a Workflow Resource Kit, which IBM will use to help partners begin creating their own unique workflows. IBM Innovations Centers scattered around the globe will provide the educational setting and technical tools for ISVs and Systems Integrators to learn how to create base orchestration and develop workflows, according to sources familiar with the OPAL initiative.