Colt Technology Services has widened its alliance with Microsoft, having been named as a launch partner for Microsoft Azure Peering Service, as well as joining the Azure Networking Managed Service Provider (MSP) Programme.
Until Microsoft Azure Peering Service was launched, enterprises could connect to the cloud via the public internet or through dedicated connectivity provided by Azure ExpressRoute and an ExpressRoute partner such as Colt.
Azure Peering Service now allows enterprises to benefit from a direct interconnection between Colt’s IP Access offering and the public Microsoft Network without intermediate providers. This helps ensure reliable performance, low latency, optimised routing and the best quality experience for Microsoft 365 workplace productivity services, said the two partners.
The new offering also addresses many of the typical challenges experienced by users connecting to the cloud over the public internet – unpredictable performance, availability and latency. Colt says it can give customers a predictable level of performance on a global scale through 16 IP peering points, while being able to use a public IP addressing plan.
“Our deepening relationship with Microsoft allows us to assist at every stage of the cloud migration journey, whether that’s in identifying the required network infrastructure to achieve the desired level of application or providing the actual premium internet connectivity for Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams,” said Colt.
To further strengthen its positioning in the Azure ecosystem, Colt is also joining the Azure Networking Managed Service Provider Programme. This gives Colt’s enterprise customers access to a networking experience which helps them to connect, operationalise and scale the adoption of their cloud services on Azure.
Peter Coppens, Colt vice president of product portfolio, said, “We know that many organisations are in the process of migrating their on-premises operations either partially or fully to the cloud. During such a digital transformation, organisations must have a connectivity provider that not only has the product set to facilitate these migrations, but also one that supports them through the transition.”
Ross Ortega, partner programme manager for Azure Networking at Microsoft, said, “Colt has been a Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute partner providing on-demand and high-quality dedicated connectivity to Microsoft Azure. We are pleased to expand our relationship with Colt joining two of our Azure Networking programmes.”