To enable high performing, secure and direct connections to Microsoft’s Cloud (including Azure, Microsoft Office 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365), Internet Solutions (IS) launched its Cloud Connect solution for Microsoft’s South African data centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and London.
“Since then, growth in the number of South African companies moving their workloads to the cloud and data centres to take advantage of the benefits of cloud technology continues unabated. While the benefits of the cloud are staggering, so too can be the connectivity costs — a potential barrier to companies fully exploiting all that the cloud can deliver,” says Kervin Pillay, chief technology officer at Internet Solutions.
Internet Solutions has now launched Virtual Cross Connect, a solution that allows its data centre, access and VPN clients to extend their existing data centre into the hyperscaler hub through ultra-low-cost-and-latency colocation connectivity, and thereby enabling high powered computing for workloads such as SAP on Azure.
“Through Virtual Cross Connect, we’ll shorten the distance between clients and Microsoft by localising traffic in data centres, at extremely competitive connectivity rates to improve service delivery and client experience,” says Pillay.
Now, clients in IS data centres can reach the cloud and their customers much faster with inter-data centre connectivity by joining our hyperconnected and hyperscaled exchange ecosystem. Speed is a crucial factor when it comes to accessing critical cloud-based data and Virtual Cross Connect provides performance of sub-20-millisecond latency nationally, with even lower latency for intra-data centre connectivity.
Virtual Cross Connect provides:
* A flat monthly Virtual Cross Connect fee of R999.00 for 1Gbps of throughput from an IS data centre in metropolitan areas directly to Microsoft Express Route points of presence in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
* Intra- and -inter data centre connectivity between IS and Microsoft points of interconnect, as well as major hyperscaler hubs.
* Capability to optimise network segments and consolidate links.
* Rapid set-up of direct connection to apPublic and private clouds using Ethernet, VPN and/or Internet access, incorporating Infoconnect.
* Ability to link clients’ Infoconnect and Cloud Connect exchange partners together — further reducing connectivity costs between on-network partners.
* Easy data exchange for multinationals across global territories through our Internet exchange capability.
* Data centre colocation, security and SD-WAN services as adjacent deployments.
“We are rapidly becoming a global digital economy where businesses and their service offerings have global reach, but in many ways it is more important than ever to localise delivery. This is what Microsoft is offering by investing in data centres in South Africa,” adds Pillay.
Lillian Barnard, MD of Microsoft South Africa, says: “We’re pleased to partner with Internet Solutions as they have displayed commitment to removing barriers to entry through providing commodity connectivity services for companies wanting to benefit from cloud services.”