Direct access to IBM Cloud is now available through the Digital Realty Service Exchange and IBM Cloud Direct Link via more than 70 Digital Realty data centres in Amsterdam, Ashburn, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Miami, Phoenix, Portland, New York, Santa Clara, Seattle, Singapore, Sydney and Toronto.
Speaking exclusively with Capacity, Chris Sharp, chief technology officer at Digital Realty, explained the strategic reasoning behind the decision to add this service to these 15 select metro areas first.
“Digital Realty is the only provider with multiple locations for IBM Cloud Direct Link Dedicated Hosting that offers the lowest-latency option for secure connectivity directly into the IBM Cloud POD where users’ compute workloads are running.”
The plan will create on-ramps that will help ensure quick and secure access to enterprise applications in the IBM Cloud through Digital Realty’s service exchange platform. In addition, it will augment the various existing IBM Cloud Direct Link Dedicated Hosting deployments across multiple continents in Digital Realty’s global portfolio.
“Businesses are turning to the cloud to extract new value from their data and deliver better customer experiences faster than ever before,” said Kit Linton, vice president of network at IBM Cloud. “The combination of Digital Realty’s extensive global reach and highly resilient connectivity from IBM Cloud Direct Link can help businesses build the protected, hybrid cloud environment they need to innovate at scale.”
Sharp stays that there are a number benefits of connecting to IBM Cloud via private connections, one of which is increased security.
“A secure private cloud connection reduces complexities and inefficiencies by avoiding the public internet, and offers higher security, reliability, and lower latencies than typical internet connections. Furthermore, the direct, private connectivity that Service Exchange provides offers clear benefits when compared to gaining access via the public internet, the risks and failures of which are seen in near-daily headlines.”
He went to say that a recent “State of the Cloud” survey by RightScale indicates 96% of enterprises are now using the cloud, with 81% adopting a multi-cloud strategy and 51% using hybrid cloud, “citing security and managing cloud spend as the top challenges in leveraging the cloud effectively. Despite those challenges, many enterprises are expected to continue moving more of their workloads to the cloud, with the need for digital transformation as the leading factor driving adoption of public cloud in their efforts to change business models and drive IT agility.”
Thanks to the addition of Service Exchange, Digital Realty offers three options for connecting to IBM Cloud, which includes Direct Link Dedicated Hosting, Direct Link Connect and Direct Link Dedicated. Allowing customers to select the level of service they need for their speed, deployment and location requirements.
“Providing enterprise connectivity to the extensive range of services available through IBM Cloud via Direct Link ensures customers not only have access to the compute and storage resources they need, but they are also able to leverage more advanced cloud applications like analytics, blockchain technology and the Internet of Things,” said Sharp. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with IBM to enable our mutual customers to access the cloud services they need to accelerate their own business growth, no matter where they may be located.”
