AT&T and Equinix form alliance

AT&T NetBond enables customers to connect to their cloud services using their private AT&T VPN networks, which deliver highly secure connections with high reliability and performance capabilities, rather than relying on access via the public Internet. The alliance will create the opportunity for cloud providers to allow access to their services via AT&T NetBond from Equinix data centers around the world.

“The AT&T and Equinix alliance will boost enterprise customers’ confidence in the security, reliability and performance of the cloud,” said Mike Sapien, Principal Analyst – Enterprise at Ovum. “The companies are addressing many of customers’ concerns about moving applications to the cloud and will ultimately speed up enterprise cloud adoption. This is a great example of AT&T’s open network initiatives aligning with Equinix’s cloud ecosystem.”

AT&T NetBond combines the security of AT&T virtual private networking with cloud resources. As a result, business customers have flexible and reliable access to the cloud. It also dynamically allocates VPN bandwidth, allowing customers to use as much or as little as they need.

“Business customers want rock solid network-based security protecting their traffic and applications when they use cloud services,” said Jon Summers, senior vice president growth platforms, AT&T Business Solutions. “Virtual private networking gives them better protection against Internet threats while also delivering the reliability, agility and performance they need when accessing the cloud. This agreement with Equinix will expand the opportunity for cloud service providers to use our virtual private networking and AT&T NetBond technology to enhance the end user’s cloud experience.”

“Equinix sits at the intersection of cloud service providers, network service providers and enterprise customers that want to use those services. The alliance lets AT&T quickly expand its portfolio of AT&T NetBond-enabled cloud services by using our position as a cloud hub,” said Pete Hayes, chief sales officer for Equinix. “Together, we’re making the network as flexible as the cloud and giving enterprises confidence they can move their most demanding applications to the cloud and still meet their security, scalability and performance requirements.”
The companies expect these capabilities to be available in the first half of 2014.