The Blockchain technology will be a vital part in the future of banking, computing and secure networks - that's a given, and all of us here on Steemit are sure of it.
But it's also a fact that currently, Blockchain technology is still not very popular - it sounds complicated, it's not very accessible or easily applicable, so not many companies have started to use it yet.
This is about to change!
Tech giant IBM has just launched its first commercial Blockchain service, based on Linux' open source Hyperledger Fabric.
With this step, IBM will be able to offer businesses a cloud service to build custom blockchains.
IBM's strategy is to offer their customers a wide range of cloud services, and they had already announced to support blockchain technology and increase its popularity, so this project seems to go hand in hand with those plans.
"The Internet changed the way we deliver information and communicate; blockchain has the potential to do the same for business transactions and processes, especially where we are linking multiple parties.”-Marie Wieck, General Manager IBM Blockchain
The goal is to offer their customers a service to build, deploy and manage their own secure blockchain networks.
There is no price tag for the service yet - it's only been stated that start-ups will be charged less than Enterprise builders.
"Hyperledger Fabric is the operating system for IBM Blockchain, and the IBM Blockchain built an environment to develop, govern and operate a production, permissioned blockchain."-Jerry Cuomo, Vice President of Blockchain Technologies, IBM
Jerry Cuomo, VP of Blockchain Technologies at IBM, has stated that security is their top priority and they've done everything they can to make this Blockchain service as secure as possible.
To ensure that, they prevent unauthorized access by creating a security container for the ledger, they have separated the ledger from the rest of the cloud environment, and they have even added "tamper-responsive hardware", which will shut itself down if a hacker tries to access the network.
"So in the same way organizations have been able to leverage compute power via the cloud and applications via SaaS, IBM Blockchain will enable organizations to acquire blockchain functionality quickly without the risks and costs associated with buying and deploying the technology themselves. It gives IBM a good method to quickly win customers and market share."-Jeff Kaplan, Think Strategies about the IBM Blockchain
IBM is already working with big companies like Walmart, the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Maersk and Northern Trust to build and run blockchain networks for them in the IBM Cloud.
This service could mark an important step in the process of making Blockchain technologies more popular and more accessible to the public.
I will be interested to see which companies will use the cloud service, what the abilities / features are, and how IBM's rivals will respond.
What's your opinion - do you think a cloud-based Blockchain management service like this one could help make the technology more accessible? What are your thoughts about the future of Blockchain Technology?
Images: 1, 2, 3, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
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