IBM offers cloud cybersecurity solutions to help firms manage WFH

New York headquartered technology firm IBM said it will provide free cybersecurity and data services to companies for 90 days to help them cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. 

IBM will allow its customers to build virtual servers linked with its cloud solutions and also provide troubleshooting services, a statement said. The solutions are expected to help IBM customers better manage workloads from home.

“Seemingly overnight, almost every organisation around the world has been faced with the new reality of having nearly its entire workforce conducting business from home. IBM Cloud is providing clients with the security that comes from its breadth of deployment options across 60 global data centres,” Vikas Arora, VP of IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software and Services said.

The company will offer nine services such as Cloud, Aspera, Security, Enterprise Video Streaming, Sterling, Blueworks Live, Cloud Event Management, Remote Learning Resources, and Garage.   

Services other than core cloud solutions include high-speed file sharing, cybersecurity programs, video streaming of events with 20,000-viewer capacity, supply chain solutions, changing processes to suit remote operations and unplanned business needs.

Two days ago, IBM launched a programme 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge, inviting developers and innovators to find solutions to support the global fight against Covid-19. Registrations will close on July 31 and winners will be announced in October. Awards include $200,000 cash, open-source project support from the Linux Foundation, mentorship and investment opportunities among others. 

Most businesses across the world are working remotely from the past two weeks as governments issue lockdowns or urge people to avoid social gatherings. 

With work-from-home likely being the norm in the near future, technology companies are coming up with solutions to deal with such issues.

On Thursday, chipmaker Nvidia expanded its free virtual graphic processing unit (vGPU) software evaluation from 128 licenses to 500 for 90 days, to support people working remotely during the Covid-19 outbreak. 

Zoho, the Chennai based software-as-a-service company, recently waived off fee for its products free for around 20,000 of its paying customers amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

India saw its highest surge of deaths due to Covid-19 so far, in the last 24 hours. Six more people succumbed to the disease taking the total tally of deaths to 17 while the total number of infected cases rose over 700. The rise in the count comes after the central government issued a complete lockdown on Tuesday, barring essential services.