Colt Technology Services today announced its extended collaboration with IBM to provide support for IBM Cloud Direct Link, allowing enterprise customers to establish a private network connection from their own IT infrastructure to IBM Cloud.
Security, reliability and performance of the network are critical to ensure that businesses can fully benefit from the cloud. This collaboration will give customers a cloud networking experience with increased resilience, low latency and access to their core applications securely.
Through the IBM Cloud Direct Link services, enterprises can now choose Colt’s Dedicated Cloud Access to provide private network connectivity between their own data centres or office locations and the IBM Cloud. The Colt IQ Network includes a 100Gbps optimised, owned network, distributed to more than 850 data centres and more than 26,000 buildings around the world. This provides customers with a superior cloud networking experience when compared to relying on the public internet.
As part of this extended collaboration, Colt is joining the IBM Cloud Direct Link Service Provider Program, which was launched by IBM to provide enterprises with reliable connectivity across all corners of the globe.
“Enterprises are turning to the cloud to use high-value services such as artificial intelligence, analytics, blockchain and IoT so they can turn unstructured data into new business insights,” said Kit Linton, Vice President of Network, IBM Cloud. “Through the continued growth of the IBM Cloud Direct Link Service Provider Program, Colt and its IQ Network will provide private, scalable connectivity to the IBM Cloud to help power this next phase of cloud-driven transformation.”
Peter Coppens, Vice President Product Portfolio, Colt Technology Services added: “We are delighted to collaborate with IBM to enable companies to continue their cloud expansion and fuel future IT growth around the world. We know what digital transformation brings, and cloud services are key enablers for this. Our collaboration will see enterprises, through the use of the Colt IQ Network and Colt’s Dedicated Cloud Access offering, be able to establish private connectivity to the IBM Cloud from wherever they need to; whether it be a data centre or office.
“Not only can this help reduce network costs and increase bandwidth throughput, but it also can provide a much more consistent experience so that the connection to the IBM Cloud can be seamless.”