Private cloud company Appko has released its self-service cloud product called myCloudPod, which helps IT add servers to converged infrastructures from vendors such as Cisco, HP, IBM (News - Alert) and Dell. myCloudPod is being launched through the value-added reseller (VAR) channel, and company officials say it’s designed to put IT in a leadership position to provide a more complete experience to their users, while at the same time, maintain control of the infrastructure.

Appko, which launched in 2007, has culminated its experience developing custom solutions for companies into the design of its new product, which is the result of years of innovation in user experience and cloud computing, according to Appko CEO Sean DuLac.

“User experience is key,” DuLac said in a statement. “When your users are empowered, everyone wins.”

myCloudPod offers new level of usability to the cloud computing market, and it does so for private infrastructure, separating myCloudPod from vendors on the market, DuLac added.

Typically, VARs sell converged infrastructure with hardware, virtualization software, and tools for administrators, but with myCloudPod, they are able to complete the solution for cloud computing, according to Appko President Sean Moreland.

“Infrastructure, sometimes called Pods, are missing self-service; myCloudPod is instant cloud for your Pod,” Moreland explained.

myCloudPod allows VARs and IT to bring success to cloud computing, since the product allows VARs to offer a complete cloud and it gives the credit to the IT department.

“IT is looking for ways to establish a leadership position in cloud computing in the face of  stiff competition from public clouds.  Simply providing the capability to provision servers is not enough,” Moreland added. “Users are not administrators, so giving them an administration tool that is made available from the web is not the answer.”

According to Appko, more than half of companies plan to develop an internal cloud computing solution within the next three years. 

“myCloudPod was developed so companies can implement cloud computing without having to build and maintain their own custom software,” Moreland concluded. “For the first time, organizations can now have instant cloud for their own infrastructure.  With myCloudPod everyone wins. End users become empowered, IT leads, and VARs sell more.”