SingTel in Azure pact with Microsoft

• To provide secure private access into Microsoft’s Azure public cloud platform
• Direct connectivity offers greater security and higher performance, SingTel says

SINGAPORE Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) has announced a first-of-its-kind strategic collaboration with Microsoft Corp to offer enterprise customers access to the latter’s Azure public cloud platform.
 
Enterprise customers will soon be able to bypass the public Internet and connect faster and more securely into Azure using SingTel’s Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) virtual private network, the telco giant said in a statement.
 
Previously, businesses could only use the Internet to access Microsoft Azure in order to use their enterprise cloud resources.
 
Through this collaboration, SingTel’s MPLS network will integrate with the Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute service directly. This connection offers more reliability, faster speeds, lower latencies and higher security, SingTel claimed.
 
“Our partnership with Microsoft will pave the way for enterprises to connect securely to Microsoft Azure without having to make additional investments,” said Lee Han Kheng, vice president of Global Products, SingTel Group Enterprise.
 
“This convenience enables enterprises to access Window’s cloud computing infrastructure securely anywhere in Asia Pacific.
 
“This partnership is further enhanced by the ability of enterprises to leverage SingTel’s virtual private cloud, based on the Microsoft Cloud OS (operating system). With three options, enterprises can select a combination of Azure public cloud services by Microsoft, accessing virtual private cloud services hosted by SingTel and using on-premise technology.
 
“This flexibility enables enterprises to capitalise on the distinct advantages of each type of cloud platform to more efficiently manage their business applications,” Lee added.
 
SingTel has a presence in Asia and Africa with over 500 million mobile customers in 25 countries, including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand.
 
“Cloud computing in Asia Pacific is rapidly accelerating, but many enterprises want more control over cloud connections,” said Steven Martin (pic), general manager, Microsoft Azure for Microsoft.
 
“Through this strategic alliance with SingTel, we can lower the barriers to entry for cloud computing by providing a more secure and reliable connectivity option for our joint customers in Asia Pacific,” he added.
 
SingTel will first roll out Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute service to the Singapore and Asia markets before replicating this network arrangement in Australia to serve the markets in Oceania.
 
SingTel said it has an extensive network of more than 100 Points-of-Presence (PoPs) in 60 Asian countries, providing unrivalled coverage across the region.
 
MPLS IP VPN is a fully managed and secured networking service designed to provide a complete and reliable integrated communications solution to address customers' business needs, it added.
 
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