SoftLayer Reviews

SoftLayer Technologies, Inc. was founded in 2005 in Dallas, Texas, by Lance Crosby and several associates. Initially, it specialized in providing dedicated servers, managed hosting, and cloud computing infrastructure, pioneering integrated environments where clients could manage both bare-metal servers and virtual servers seamlessly. SoftLayer quickly gained traction, particularly among gaming companies and startups needing high-performance, customizable infrastructure. A significant merger occurred in 2010 with The Planet Internet Services, its largest competitor, consolidating under the SoftLayer brand and creating the largest privately held cloud infrastructure provider at the time. In June 2013, IBM acquired SoftLayer for approximately $2 billion to significantly bolster its cloud offerings and establish a strong foundation for its Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) portfolio. SoftLayer's global network of data centers (13 at the time of acquisition) and its unique bare-metal server offerings were key assets. Post-acquisition, SoftLayer became the core infrastructure for IBM's cloud services, initially integrated into IBM Bluemix and later forming the foundation of the rebranded IBM Cloud in 2017. While the SoftLayer brand was eventually phased out, its infrastructure and technological approach, especially its bare-metal capabilities and global data center network, remain integral parts of the IBM Cloud platform, targeting enterprises and businesses requiring scalable, high-performance, and secure cloud solutions.