Provider Profile
CloudFirst for IBM Power: Independent Profile
CloudFirst is one of the few providers whose business is built around IBM Power rather than treating it as a side offering. Here's what the company publishes, and what to confirm yourself.
Independent profile — not sponsored by, affiliated with, or endorsed by this provider.
What is CloudFirst?
CloudFirst is an IBM Power specialist offering IBM i and AIX cloud hosting, backup, disaster recovery, and managed IBM Power Virtual Server (PowerVS). It was formed when Performive acquired CloudFirst Technologies in September 2025 and adopted the CloudFirst name. Unlike general-purpose hosting companies that added Power to an existing x86 platform, IBM Power is the core of this business, which usually shows up in the depth of the engineering conversation. Pricing is marketed as consumption-based rather than fixed-capacity, and current capabilities and attestations should be confirmed directly.
At a Glance
CloudFirst Specifications
Everything below is drawn from what CloudFirst publishes. Items marked vendor-stated are the provider's claims, not independently verified figures — treat them as questions to raise, not as confirmed specifications.
- IBM i
- AIX
- Linux on Power
| Provider type | IBM Power specialist — hosting, backup, DR, and managed PowerVS |
|---|---|
| Ownership | Performive acquired CloudFirst Technologies in a deal reported at $40 million, closing September 2025, and rebranded as CloudFirst |
| Footprint (vendor-stated) | Tier III data centers across US and UK regions — request the specific site list |
| Managed services (vendor-stated) | 24/7 monitoring and support from certified specialists, plus proactive infrastructure updates |
| Backup and DR (vendor-stated) | Disaster-recovery-as-a-service to a second site, backup-as-a-service, ransomware recovery, and N+1 platform redundancy |
| Hyperscaler connectivity (vendor-stated) | Direct connectivity to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud |
| Compliance claims | ISO 27001, PCI, HIPAA, SOX, and GDPR — request current attestation reports |
| Pricing model (vendor-stated) | Consumption-based pricing that scales with usage rather than fixed reserved capacity |
Vendor pages last checked July 2026. Providers change offerings without notice — confirm current details directly.
Visit the provider's IBM Power page →Where It Is Strong
What CloudFirst Does Well
Points that genuinely differentiate this provider, based on what it publishes and how it is positioned in the IBM Power market.
IBM Power is the core business
This is not a colocation company with an IBM i line item. The whole platform is built around IBM Power, which generally means fewer translation problems when you describe your environment.
Managed PowerVS as an option
If you want IBM's own Power Virtual Server infrastructure but not the operational burden, CloudFirst offers it as a managed service — a middle path between full self-service and traditional managed hosting.
Broad OS coverage
IBM i, AIX, and Linux on Power are all supported, so a mixed estate does not need to be split across providers.
Named as a delivery partner by others
TierPoint publicly names CloudFirst as a partner for IBM Power production and recovery support, which is a signal about where the underlying skills sit in this market.
Fit Check
Is CloudFirst a Good Fit?
Best fit
Good fit signals
IBM i and AIX shops that want an IBM Power specialist rather than a generalist, and organizations evaluating managed Power Virtual Server without wanting to run PowerVS themselves.
Use caution
Proceed with caution if
The Performive and CloudFirst combination closed in September 2025. Integration of support teams, ticketing, and billing after a merger of that size is rarely finished quickly, so ask directly who will hold your account and whether that has changed in the last year.
Key decision
Decision point
If you are also considering TierPoint, find out whether CloudFirst would be delivering the IBM Power work underneath. Buying direct rather than through a reseller layer can change both the price and the escalation path.
Due Diligence
What to Verify Before You Sign
Take these to the provider in writing. Anything that only exists in a slide deck is not a commitment.
Which entity holds the contract post-merger
Confirm whether you are contracting with the CloudFirst or Performive legal entity, and that support, SLAs, and escalation paths reflect the combined organization rather than the pre-merger structure.
The actual data center list
Tier III and US/UK regions are broad statements. Get named facilities for both production and DR, and confirm data residency if you have UK or EU requirements.
What consumption-based pricing means in practice
Ask for a worked example on your sizing, including what happens at peak, whether there is a floor commitment, and how a spike in usage is billed.
Current compliance reports
ISO 27001, PCI, HIPAA, SOX, and GDPR are listed together as standards the environment supports. Request the specific reports and confirm which cover the exact platform your LPARs will run on.
Ransomware recovery specifics
Ask whether backup copies are genuinely immutable, where the immutable copy lives, and what a tested recovery timeline looks like for your data volume.
CloudFirst FAQ
Is CloudFirst the same company as Performive?
Yes. Performive acquired CloudFirst Technologies Corporation in a deal that closed in September 2025 and adopted the CloudFirst name for the combined business. You may still see the Performive name on older contracts and materials.
Does CloudFirst run its own Power infrastructure or resell IBM PowerVS?
Both. It hosts IBM Power workloads in its own data centers and separately offers a managed service on top of IBM Power Virtual Server. Confirm which model any given quote is based on, because the cost structure and control model differ significantly.
Can CloudFirst host an AS/400 workload?
AS/400 is the original name for what is now IBM i, and CloudFirst markets IBM AS/400 hosting explicitly. As with any provider, confirm your specific IBM i release and third-party software dependencies before committing.
How does managed PowerVS compare with hosting on CloudFirst's own platform?
Managed PowerVS puts your workload on IBM Cloud infrastructure with CloudFirst handling operations, which keeps you closer to IBM's own roadmap and regions. Hosting on CloudFirst's platform gives the provider more control over the stack. Price both, since the underlying cost models are not comparable line for line.
Sources
- CloudFirst — IBM i cloud hosting
- CloudFirst — IBM PowerVS managed service
- CloudFirst — Performive and CloudFirst merger announcement
- Contract terms, SLAs, and current audit reports — request directly from CloudFirst
Independent Advisory Notice
Power Systems Advisor is an independent advisory resource and is not IBM. IBM, IBM Power, IBM i, AIX, PowerVM, Power Virtual Server, and other marks belong to their respective owners. Product availability, compatibility, pricing, and support should be verified with IBM or the relevant provider. Recommendations depend on the customer's specific environment.
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