JT Group announces Cloud partnership with global provider, Dimension Data

JT has signed a deal that will see them partnering with market-leading global services provider Dimension Data to offer new and innovative cloud services. This deal will provide customers in the Channel Islands with a secure and reliable infrastructure solution, enabling self-service provisioning of servers and storage, without the need to build their own platforms and consume more critical data centre space.

Dimension Data’s Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform is designed to deliver on demand at the outset and creates the corner stone for JT to provide further enhanced services such as cloud based telephony and video conferencing, as well as virtual desktops and storage on demand. The solution is a tried and proven platform and is fully supported and backed in partnership with Dimension Data and Cisco, both leaders in the enterprise space.

IaaS will be JT’s fourth and largest cloud service to be launched alongside their existing Wi-Fi, On Demand backup and Distributed Denial of Service offerings (and will be available to customers later in the year). Following this, JT will also be looking to launch a range of services over the top of the IaaS platform, to include SaaS and PaaS.

The JT offer will be resilient and flexible and the new service will allow customers to choose where their systems are hosted and select the level of security required, as well as the ability to change their demands as their business dictates. With the hosting conducted in JT’s own Tier 3 Data Centres in Jersey and Guernsey customers are assured of unparalleled security that, as the Tier 1 operator and infrastructure owner, only JT can provide.

Dimension Data is a leader in the global cloud market, as recognised in Gartner’s 2013 Magic Quadrant report for cloud Infrastructure as a-Service. The partnership will see JT become a member of Dimension Data’s One Cloud Alliance, with the capability to deliver a highly scalable, pan-island cloud, providing access to a truly global Cloud service through their Global Cloud Exchange.

Paul D Taylor, Managing Director for JT’s Global Enterprise Business Unit described the launch as underpinning JT’s commitment to their customers to drive a market leading position in managed services, hosting and connectivity; further building on their strong reputation and said: “We have been looking for a partner to enter the cloud arena for some time, because it’s a key offering in strategic markets such as finance, legal, e-Gaming and small-to-medium enterprises.

“JT fully understand the need to store critical data within the Channel Islands that is both highly secure and accessible for wealth management, however we want to offer our existing customers the same service levels on a global scale for non- regulated data. Dimension Data’s platform will deliver this requirement building on our secure data centre services, making us more relevant both locally and in a global context.”

“We’re excited to work with JT to bring an enterprise-ready cloud offering to the Channel Islands,” said, Calvin Goom Managing Director Dimension Data, UK. “We believe our cloud solutions will serve well the finance, legal and services businesses in the Channel Islands and also serve the businesses looking for a UK-based alternative to hosting data in London. JT’s new cloud solution will meet the needs for data sovereignty and geographic diversity for UK businesses.”

“Dimension Data is committed to helping JT bring new, innovative services to the market, said Adam Pozniak, Channel Director for Dimension Data’s Cloud Business Unit. “Through our partnership, we will accelerate JT’s time to market for cutting edge cloud services and also expand JT’s role in the global cloud marketplace. As a part of our Global Cloud Exchange, JT joins many other OneCloud Alliance members around the world.”

Mr Taylor concluded: “JT’s goal is to position ourselves as the partner of choice for global telecoms innovation, and to do that we have to be leading-edge to remain relevant to our enterprise clients. Through partnering with a market-leading global player like Dimension Data, we can unlock innovation in services, establish ourselsves as the first Enterprise grade Cloud provider and deliver quality and cost-effective services to clients, wherever they operate.”