Dell Continues Cloud Charge With Boomi Buy

Dell added some Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) integration muscle to its cloud computing arsenal on Tuesday with the acquisition of Boomi and Boomi's AtomSphere Technology.

The Boomi buy, for which the financial terms were not disclosed, gives Round Rock, Texas-based Dell a SaaS application integration service play that will enable VARs and end users to move data and applications between cloud and on-premise systems without software, hardware or coding.

"For years, Dell has been working directly with our customers and SaaS leaders to understand the value cloud computing can bring and the issues customers face when contemplating this paradigm shift," Steve Felice, president, Dell Consumer, Small and Medium Business, said in a statement. "Twenty-six years ago we helped accelerate the move to client-server computing; today we'll help drive a similar transformation with customers turning to the cloud to drive costs down and innovation up."

Dell said that the Boomi, Berwyn, Pa., acquisition will give channel partners the ability to connect information between clients' existing on-premise and cloud-based applications and whittle down application integration time to weeks from months.

According to Dell, buying Boomi, which was founded in 2000, adds cloud application management and integration to its cloud portfolio, areas often seen as barriers to cloud adoption. Boomi's AtomSphere technology is used with a host of cloud-based applications including Salesforce CRM and applications for marketing, financial, human resources, content management and service-desk management.

Next: Dell Gets More 'Cloud Knowledge'

David Dahlberg, chief marketing officer for Chicago-based cloud integration and solution provider Model Metrics, said Dell's acquisition of Boomi is a bid by Dell to boost its cloud computing credibility by bringing in Boomi's people and technical assets. "They're looking for ways to acquire cloud expertise," Dahlberg said. "How do we increase our cloud knowledge?"

Dahlberg said Dell acquiring Boomi is one of many cloud acquisitions that will come as massive IT players look to spread their cloud wings. "It think we're going to see a lot of it," he said.

John Barnes, CTO of Model Metrics, compared the Boomi pickup to IBM's acquisition of Cast Iron, a cloud integration player, earlier this year.

Model Metrics has worked with Boomi on Salesforce integration projects and Barnes said Dell bringing aboard the company could help Boomi develop its offerings and emerge from relative obscurity. "It could give Boomi more of a runway," he said.

Dell's Boomi acquisition comes as Dell sharpens its cloud computing chops to take advantage of the growing market opportunity in the cloud. In March, Dell laid out its cloud strategy, which included the launch of a host of new products and services; including cloud-specific PowerEdge C servers to offer turnkey cloud solutions. At the same time, Dell also launched a cloud platform for Web applications. At the same time, Dell launched a Cloud Partner Program and added a handful of new ISV partners to help bring customers up to speed in the cloud.