ARMONK, NY - 03 Dec 2015: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it is expanding its Direct Link services through new collaborations with Verizon, Equinix, Digital Realty, among others, to help enterprises more quickly and easily adopt a hybrid cloud infrastructure.

Today, many organizations are demanding a reliable and secure connection to the cloud, rather than sending data over the public Internet. IBM Direct Link addresses this issue by enabling enterprises to directly plug into the IBM Cloud through private and secure IP network connections.

The enhanced services include new colocation capabilities enabling companies to house their own infrastructure in a secure cabinet within an IBM Cloud data center while connecting directly into the IBM Cloud network from 13 global data center locations. They can also easily move workloads to and from the IBM Cloud as if they are part of their local area network, adding even more flexibility.

The new services help extend the life of existing IT investments—which means there is no need to rip and replace hardware when moving to the cloud—while giving users direct access to faster and more consistent network performance and higher data security, as well as providing more options for deploying a hybrid cloud environment. By adding more companies to the Direct Link network, IBM is simplifying the way customers can adopt and leverage a hybrid cloud model.

“Low latency, security and reliability are high priorities when implementing a hybrid cloud because they drive a positive user experience. With help from providers such as Verizon, Equinix and Digital Realty, we’re giving clients more options for connecting to our cloud platform,” said Jack Beech, VP of business development for SoftLayer, an IBM Company. “Users can connect directly into our Infrastructure as a Service from their global data centers or offices using Direct Link, benefiting from a faster, more reliable and more secure connection than is typical through the public Internet.”

In addition to new colocation capabilities, Direct Link continues to provide companies with expanded global reach and added support to address auditing and reporting guidelines for a multi-cloud architecture. This includes:

• The Direct Link NSP offering, which is tailored for customers who need to adhere to the most stringent auditing and reporting guidelines, such as HIPAA. It provides a “single unified cloud” platform so that customers can meet their specific security compliance requirements.
• The Direct Link Cloud Exchange offering, which allows customers to take advantage of multi-cloud architectures, including a mix of on-premises, private cloud and public cloud services. It is designed to offer optimal flexibility and choice.

In addition to working with Verizon, Equinix and Digital Realty, these services are offered globally from InterXion and NextDC , as well as customers on the Colt network.

For more information, visit: http://www.ibm.com/cloud-computing and www.softlayer.com/direct-link.