Lately, it feels as though the UC marketplace has been hit with a sort of collaboration fever, where big-name players are coming together from all over the world to create new solutions for the age of digital transformation. One of the latest partnerships to make ripples in the communications space is the one between BT and Amazon Web Services (AWS), which was recently announced as a way of transforming and boosting cloud adoption at an enterprise level.
According to BT, the decision to work alongside AWS was made in an effort to reinforce their leadership position as one of the biggest providers of cloud-based services on the market today. The communication company hopes that the BT/AWS integration will help customers across the UK, and around the globe to better tap into the benefits that Amazon has to offer.
Exploring the “Cloud of Clouds”
While the term “Cloud of Clouds” might conjure up a rainy afternoon in London for some of our readers, it’s actually the name of BT’s current portfolio strategy, which is focused around helping customers to connect more securely, and easily to the data and applications they need. Before now, BT was already established as a consulting partner for the “AWS Partner Network”, which meant that they were responsible for connecting countless organisations from across the globe to the cloud through AWS.
The latest announcement from BT not only adds a new level to their relationship with AWS, which will now focus on security, networking, and the delivery of managed cloud services, but it also highlights the growth of BT’s cloud of clouds strategy too. The integration should evolve the way that enterprise customers can access AWS at scale, thanks to the launch of brand-new customer solutions like the “BT hybrid cloud landing zone”.
The idea is that with the right technology, security, and innovation from BT, customers around the world will be able to accelerate their cloud adoption program with AWS.
The BT “Hybrid Cloud Landing Zone”
The Hybrid Cloud Landing Zone from BT is one of the group’s latest propositions, which includes a range of integrated cloud deployment tools and designs for companies to take advantage of when they want a simpler migration strategy. The landing zone will contain a collection of ready-made blueprints that businesses can follow for a best-practice hybrid cloud model, regardless of their cloud environment, or geography.
The hope is that this simple proposition will assist BT’s customers when it comes to managing the complexity and confusion that can come with hybrid cloud environments. Additionally, it should establish opportunities for virtual networking across various geographical regions, while maintaining higher level securities across hybrid cloud networks.
The blueprints will come packaged with various benefits already offered by BT, such as their security expertise, and global network scale so that customers have much greater control and visibility over their cloud deployment. Additionally, BT will be using virtualised solutions to provide pre-embedded security and flexible connectivity scenarios that improve time-to-market for many customers.
Securing the Cloud Environment
The Hybrid Cloud Landing Zone will be available for early adopters during the first half of 2018, while AWS and BT continue to work together on a more holistic approach to security in the cloud. The two brands hope to allow their customers to extend their pre-existing security controls into the cloud, and BT will be providing a complete list of embedded network security, threat intelligence, and anti-DDoS products that consumers can access through the AWS marketplace.
From a long-term perspective, the research and innovation conducted by BT will include strategies for access and identity management through end-to-end security services. Already, there’s a dedicated Cyber Security Platform deployed on AWS for companies on a multinational basis, and BT will be working with AWS to standardise this for all customers.
According to the CEO of BT Global Services, Bas Burger, the new collaboration represents a huge evolution in the BT Cloud of Clouds, and the brand’s ability to simplify the digital transformation journey for customers. Gavin Jackson, the Managing Director of AWS also noted that BT’s expertise in the cloud space should help enterprise customers to more fully embrace the full agility, security, and potential of the AWS platform.
