Cloud providers of various sorts recognize that while the cloud-based, hosted IT services model sounds simple enough, there is much complexity involved in developing cloud stacks.

As a result, companies are offering differentiated services, including educational programs and management services programs.

Continue on and check out this week's cloud activity.

Cloud platform provider Eucalyptus Systems this week rolled out education and consulting partner programs.

The company released its Eucalyptus Authorized Education Partner (EAEP) program, allowing partners to offer Eucalyptus-authorized training courses using Eucalyptus certified instructors. The EAEP program's benefits include the ability to generate additional revenue streams, access to Eucalyptus-authorized software, classroom setup guides, and internal-use software.

The Authorized Consulting Partner (EACP) program also was rolled out. The EACP program recognizes partners with a high level of competency in designing and implementing Eucalyptus cloud solutions. The program allows partners to expand their consulting services portfolio and develop competency in Eucalyptus' on-premise IaaS technology.

Startup CliQr Technologies this week unveiled CloudCenter, a cloud application management platform designed to migrate and manage applications on private, public or hybrid clouds.

CloudCenter uses orchestration software to allow different applications to work with different clouds without either having to be modified. In addition, a CloudCenter Manager application suite offers a cloud application management dashboard. CliQr is funded by venture capital companies including Google Ventures and Foundation Capital.

Terremark, a Verizon subsidiary, is helping NetApp, a provider of storage and data management solutions, improve the speed, responsiveness and efficiency of pre- and post-sales support for its worldwide customers.

NetApp will use Terremark Enterprise Cloud public and private cloud services to host and develop tools to improve the effectiveness of its worldwide system engineering and professional service teams, the companies said.

IBM said the city of South Bend., Ind., is using its cloud-based Intelligent Operations Center (IOC) for Smarter Cities to update and manage its water system. The system has helped South Bend upgrade storage and water conveyance while saving $120 million in infrastructure investments and helping it avoid more than $600,000 in possible government fines, IBM said.

The IBM IOC for Smarter Cities service, partnering with Emnet, a local business, helped South Bend predict the potential overflow of hazardous waste water. By delivering IOC as a service on the SmartCloud, IBM is removing the up-front cost and complexity for South Bend, which saves on IT infrastructure costs, IBM said.

"The strategic collaboration using great technology and great human capital will help us all innovate for better outcomes -- smarter cities of tomorrow today," Mayor Pete Buttigieg, City of South Bend, said in a statement.

Mushroom Networks said its Broadband Bonding Internet connectivity technology for cloud-based applications has been added to its Gold Value Added Resellers (Gold VAR) program.

Mushroom Networks incorporated new networking capabilities into Broadband Bonding, offering more features for authorized partners in their reselling efforts to clients that need bonded Internet lines requiring low latency and the access to realtime applications.

Broadband Bonding, by combining up to a dozen Internet lines for cloud apps, can significantly increase bandwidth at a low cost and allows companies to properly manage the WAN for top performance.

Mushroom Networks’ Gold VAR program offers resellers the company’s complete line of products.

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