Comcast said today that it will provide direct connectivity to IBM Cloud, a development that illustrates the growing importance of cable companies in the business market. IBM operates 50 data centers in 19 countries to support the IBM Cloud offering, and the Comcast, IBM Cloud deal calls for the cableco to provide business customers with connectivity to those data centers at speeds up to 10 Gbps.
Comcast will be competing with the likes of AT&T and Verizon, who already announced direct cloud connectivity deals with IBM.
Comcast, IBM Cloud Deal
IBM Cloud supports a range of services, including a DevOps offering, a cognitive technology offering known as Watson and a VMware offering that enables businesses to establish a hybrid cloud environment that lets them migrate to the cloud over time. IBM touts the fact that its cloud offering uses an open approach, enabling business customers to use multiple clouds to support their own unique requirements.
Establishing direct connectivity to the cloud eliminates the need for businesses to rely on the Internet for connectivity, thereby offering a higher level of security. And to ease concerns about reliability, Comcast said it will offer service level agreements for its direct connectivity service to IBM Cloud.
Comcast and other cable companies have been making inroads into the business market in recent years and have deployed considerable fiber network infrastructure to serve key metro markets. Business customers increasingly are demanding direct cloud connectivity and to support that demand, Comcast has established connectivity to about 500 data centers.
“IBM prefers service providers that have capabilities such as an agile network that uses Network Function Virtualization & Software Defined Network technology, global network reach, and a more secured and accelerated network. Comcast Business is the latest provider to offer IBM Cloud’s Direct Link to their customers. IBM has previously collaborated with other industry leaders including AT&T, Verizon and Telstra, among others,” an IBM spokesperson said in an email to Telecompetitor.
