Airtel-Microsoft partership gives birth to new cloud platform Connexion

Telco giant Bharti Airtel has boosted its cloud service portfolio with the launch of Connexion looping in a partnership with Microsoft Corp. for Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute. The new service is launched with a view to ensure a more secure, scalable and seamless private connection between enterprises, cloud service providers and data center partners. Airtel mentioned in the statement that its new platform “Connexion” is the best way to maximize network performance over cloud. Sounds like a strong bait!

“This platform is the right choice for the service providers and businesses seeking to make their IT infrastructure more agile and flexible. With ‘Connexion’ – we are confident of helping customers seamlessly and more securely connect to Microsoft Azure, by bringing down their network cost substantially and improving performance”, said Ajay Chitkara, Director and CEO – Global Business, Bharti Airtel.

The Azure ExpressRoute connection comes across as more reliable as it does not utilize public internet offering faster speeds, lower latencies and higher security than typical Internet connections. Connexion will also cater to regional customers across Middle East, SAARC and APAC owing to the extensive and robust capabilities of Airtel in these regions.

“Enterprises are increasingly leveraging the power of cloud to empower their workforces and Microsoft is expanding its service for India and global customers. Our partnership with Airtel, the third largest global carrier, is a major step in this direction and we hope to bring in an integrated and seamless experience for our mutual customers,” Yousef Khalidi, Distinguished Engineer, Networking, Microsoft Azure.

Airtel empowering SMBs and start-ups with Office 365

This is not the first time Airtel has entered into an agreement with Microsoft. In August 2012, the telecom company joined hands with Microsoft to power SMBs with access to Microsoft Office 365, addressing their connectivity and productivity requirements while allowing them to focus on their core business activities. Office 365 along with Airtel’s DSL and Internet Leased Ports/Lines (ILP) services empowers SMBs with the option to create a public facing website with their own domain name. Furthermore, it provides access to the latest releases from Office 365, state-of-the art anti-virus & anti-spam solutions. Users can access documents and emails from anywhere as the facilities were extended to mobiles too over an Airtel network. Last year, Bharti Airtel announced partnership with Amazon Web Services to offer its cloud computing services to customers in India. Earlier this month, Airtel Business, the enterprise arm of Bharti Airtel, partnered with networking player GBI to increase its direct reach in West Asian countries.