British Telecom (BT) has started offering business customers access to IBM Cloud services through its own fiber network, having established a direct connection to IBM data centers in the UK.

Private network to public cloud

BT Tower, London
BT Tower, London – Wikimedia Commons

Cloud Connect Direct is currently delivered from the UK using IBM Direct Cloud Link, the company’s network service designed to enable data transfers between on-premises infrastructure and the public cloud; BT plans to expand the offering and connect to IBM Cloud data centers around the world, using its own network that spans more than 200 countries.

Thanks to a private connection, the company states, subscribers will benefit from more secure, more reliable infrastructure that doesn’t have to jostle with traffic sent over the Internet.

“Cloud Connect Direct for IBM is designed to help businesses fully harness the potential of high-value digital services delivered via IBM Cloud,” said Keith Langridge, head of network services at BT.