Optus snags Microsoft Cloud partnership
The Microsoft solution expands Optus' cloud capability and provides enterprise and government customers a private cloud solution to use Microsoft products on any cloud deployment model while meeting enterprise-grade requirements for security, performance, and availability.
Optus business managing director, John Paitaridis, said, increasingly, customers wanted more flexibility in the way they used their Cloud environment to realise the benefits of as-a-service and consumption-based models.
"We are excited about this partnership which means that Optus enterprise and government customers can benefit from a combination of industry-leading Microsoft technology and Optus' managed Cloud and hosting expertise," he said.
As a member of the Microsoft Cloud OS Network, Optus can offer our customers data sovereignty, security, privacy, service level management and the ability to customise their Cloud deployments.
Optus' Microsoft Cloud professional services delivery was recently strengthened by the acquisition of IT professional and managed services company Ensyst.
Ensyst is Microsoft's 2014 Australian Country Partner of the Year and Worldwide Cloud Excellence Partner.
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Microsoft Australia managing director, Pip Marlow, said the Cloud OS Network program was for service providers who had embraced the vision of Cloud computing.
"Through this partnership with Microsoft, Optus can now deliver solutions based on the Microsoft Cloud Platform designed to meet enterprise customers' hybrid computing needs," she said.
"Optus can offer customers more flexibility and control when it comes to managing the Cloud environments.
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Marlow said Cloud was all about creating new opportunities more quickly, improving employee productivity and lowering costs.
"This new partnership helps Australian organisations to achieve these goals," she said.
Paitaridis he would share more about the company's broader Cloud strategy at the annual ICT thought leadership event -- Optus Vision -- next month in Sydney.
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Optus Vision 2015 will be held on May 27 at Sydney Town Hall.
Leading industry experts will focus on change-readiness and discuss how businesses can retain a competitive edge in the face of rapid technological change, rising customer expectations and the emergence of disruptive business models.
Last month, Optus Business confirmed it was one of the first major telco and ICT providers to join the Federal Government's Cloud Services Provider's panel.