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Zeinal Bava, chief executive of Portugal Telecom |
Portugal Telecom and Cisco have established a partnership for the provision of world-class cloud computing Services. The new cloud computing services comprise Virtual Servers, Unified Communications like a Service and Virtual Desktop technology. PT’s know-how and data centre together with Cisco® Unified Service Delivery network and computing architecture are the basis for a wide set of cloud computing services.
22 September was marked by the announcement of the extension of the PT-Cisco partnership for the development, implementation and launch of a number of world-class cloud computing services. Zeinal Bava, chief executive, PT, thinks that the current economic environment is “perhaps the right scenario to start using cloud computing as these services allow democratising the access to IT solutions and free resources to focus on the core business of a company”.
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| Chris Dedicoat, chairman, European Markets, Cisco |
Both companies have devised a roadmap to implement cloud computing services supported on an integrated IP-based New Generation Network (IP NGN - Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network) and on a data centre infrastructure. The implementation of cloud computing services will allow companies a significant reduction in initial investment costs in information technologies and accelerate innovation through the adoption of new services at global scale.
“This service is a natural offer in PT’s portolio. We want to make available solutions that contribute to the well-being of our customers and that respond to their requirements”, says Zeinal Bava. PT’s network of strategic partnerships has enabled us to lead in terms of innovation and time-to-market and Cisco is the right partner for the provision of Cloud Computing services”, he adds.
Cloud computing is a new technological paradigm in which IT resources become scalable dynamically, offered as a service. This strong value proposition for companies will allow continuous adaption to the level of activity of each company – “endless” scalability of capacity and flexibility in capacity reduction; increases rapidity in time-to-market; allows cost reduction and reduces risk. “These innovative services will allow our customers to adopt more efficient business models, democratizing technology services in the business market, for SMEs or large corporations”, says Zeinal Bava.
Portugal Telecom and Cisco have collaborated in the project and implementation of a cloud computing infrastructure based on PT Data Centres. This is a development that constitutes an important step in the execution of Portugal Telecom’s strategy for IP NGNs, which also includes fibre rollout to more than one million houses and businesses. This high-speed intelligent network infrastructure allows the delivery of Cloud Computing services.
Chris Dedicoat, president, European Markets, Cisco thinks that PT “has been fast in the transition felt in the market from IT services to the cloud. It has a competitive advantage in the IT market by enabling its customers to take advantage of high quality cloud computing services with a business model as-a-service that accelerates innovation and increases business productivity”.
In the first phase of this project, starting at the end of 2010, Portugal Telecom will offer a solution of computing as-a-service thus ensuring a greater flexibility and lower costs for companies when compared with the acquisition, installation and maintenance of new in-house servers. The cloud computing servers will be made available to companies in Portugal and to international markets selected by Portugal Telecom as well.
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Manuel Garcia says that IT should be looked at as a service |
Cloud computing services shall support large corporate groups as well as small and medium companies, these latter being an especially important market segment as SMEs represent 75% of jobs and 56% of Portugal’s GDP.
By using the Cisco Unified Service Delivery solution in its Data Centre infrastructure, Portugal Telecom will get a common platform for innovation. A complete set of applications and services is already part of the roadmap of both companies for cloud computing, and includes collaboration as a service as well as infrastructure and desktop virtualisation services.
Manuel Garcia, Head of Information Technologies and Services, PT, presented PT’s vision that cloud computing is a service that ensures access via a communication infrastructure to IT resources. Mr. Garcia also presented the Data Centre as a Service, presenting the Unique Value Proposition of PT’s Cloud Computing Solutions, respective service structure and main aspects concerning the technological partnership with Cisco.
“Portugal Telecom leads in terms of innovation and holds a privileged position in the delivery of advanced services of cloud computing in the Portuguese market. In order to keep offering the most advanced services in the market to our customers, it is essential to work with partners such as Cisco who share our enthusiasm for innovation and development of customer-centric solutions”, stresses PT’s chief executive.