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The platform, called OmniConnect, can be used to integrate information and processes deployed on public cloud infrastructure and in their own data centers.
Steve Mellow, director for IBM WebSphere, said the company has seen demand from companies for a simplified interface that would present data from both their cloud-borne databases and from applications hosted on internal infrastructure in one view.
He said the solution complemented IBM's existing offerings and while there were other smaller companies that provided similar solutions, IBM thought Cast Iron was leading in the field.
IBM did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition.
"As a general rule we don't tend to (include) acquisition price in the announcements," Mellow said.
Besides a new product, IBM also gained new customers from the deal.
"Cast Iron already has a nice customer base ... built up."
Its existing clients include Allianz, NEC, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Dow Jones, Schumacher Group, ShoreTel, Sprots Authority, Time Warner and others.
The buyer also expects the move to strengthen its play in the hybrid cloud space - the market for cloud services that use both public and private clouds.
Overall, IBM estimates size of the global cloud computing market have been $47 billion in 2008 and expects it to grow to $126 billion by 2012 - an annual growth rate of 28 percent.
The OmniConnect platform can come in the form of either software or appliance.
It can also be delivered as a service.
Cast Iron's platform currently integrates with many major public cloud service providers, including Google Apps, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft's Windows Azure.
The platform, called OmniConnect, can be used to integrate information and processes deployed on public cloud infrastructure and in their own data centers.
Steve Mellow, director for IBM WebSphere, said the company has seen demand from companies for a simplified interface that would present data from both their cloud-borne databases and from applications hosted on internal infrastructure in one view.
He said the solution complemented IBM's existing offerings and while there were other smaller companies that provided similar solutions, IBM thought Cast Iron was leading in the field.
IBM did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition.
"As a general rule we don't tend to (include) acquisition price in the announcements," Mellow said.
Besides a new product, IBM also gained new customers from the deal.
"Cast Iron already has a nice customer base ... built up."
Its existing clients include Allianz, NEC, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Dow Jones, Schumacher Group, ShoreTel, Sprots Authority, Time Warner and others.
The buyer also expects the move to strengthen its play in the hybrid cloud space - the market for cloud services that use both public and private clouds.
Overall, IBM estimates size of the global cloud computing market have been $47 billion in 2008 and expects it to grow to $126 billion by 2012 - an annual growth rate of 28 percent.
The OmniConnect platform can come in the form of either software or appliance.
It can also be delivered as a service.
Cast Iron's platform currently integrates with many major public cloud service providers, including Google Apps, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft's Windows Azure.