Colt runs further with IBM to accelerate adoption of edge computing

Global high-bandwidth connectivity systems provider Colt Technology Services has extended its partnership with IBM to include IBM Cloud Satellite on the Colt edge platform.

IBM Cloud Satellite systems are designed to enable companies to tap into a consistent and secure set of cloud services, such as artificial intelligence (AI), security and automation, regardless of where their workloads reside – on a public or private cloud, on-premise or at the edge.

By combining the deployment flexibility of IBM Cloud Satellite with its edge platform, Colt will collaborate with IBM to develop low-latency-dependent customer use cases that take advantage of AI, 5G and the internet of things.

These use cases can be deployed across Colt’s IQ Network, which comprises more than 29,000 on-net buildings and 900 datacentres, as well as its customer and network edge locations. The Colt IQ Network is designed to deliver improved performance, enhanced control, flexibility and scalability to customers running on a fully owned and operated dense fibre network that enables enterprises to benefit from an end-to-end connection to the cloud.

Colt has recently committed to further collaboration with cloud service providers as part of its three-year strategy, which will see greater alignment between how Colt rolls out its IQ Network and where enterprises require greater cloud connectivity. It believes that its deepened partnership with IBM, coupled with on-demand networking and secure SD-WAN capabilities, will further progress customers’ ongoing digital transformations.

To further bolster the partnership, Colt will use an IBM network services delivery model and telco industry services integrator IBM Global Business Services to enable continuous integration, delivery and to accelerate the evolution of its virtual networking product portfolio. It says this will ultimately enable seamless delivery of services that will support and de-risk the migration of mission-critical applications to the cloud for customers.

“I look forward to elevating our relationship and bringing the best of Colt to IBM and the best of IBM to Colt,” said Keri Gilder, CEO at Colt Technology Services. “This is an opportunity to bring our market-leading connectivity together with IBM’s technology and consultancy to provide our end-users with a superior offering.

“The combination of Colt’s DCA On Demand offering with IBM’s capabilities means we can jointly transform business-critical enterprise applications more quickly than ever before, while also enabling the next frontier of enterprise IT with 5G and edge solutions.”

Steve Canepa, global GM and managing director at IBM Communications Sector, added: “We are focused on helping Colt transform its enterprise offerings to meet the rapidly evolving needs of today’s customers. By expanding our partnership, we’re helping customers harness open hybrid cloud technologies to gain better deployment flexibility, enhanced security, and access to advanced services that can fuel their innovation, all the way to the edge.”