IBM and AT&T (T) announced a business agreement to delivery a secure, network-enabled cloud service that uses private networks rather than the public internet. The companies are combining AT&T virtual private networking and IBM SmartCloud Enterprise+ cloud capabilities with technology from AT&T Labs to create a new, fast and highly-secure shared cloud service, targeted at Fortune 1000 clients. Set to be live in early 2013 the new service marries AT&T’s global network with the control and management capabilities of IBM’s enterprise cloud. “As more organizations realize that cloud can be secure, easily managed, and a key part of their business strategy, cloud will quickly evolve as a tool for innovation rather than just for infrastructure,” said Erich Clementi, senior vice president, IBM Global Technology Services. “We believe this new service from two recognized leaders in cloud computing provides a compelling way for large organizations to exploit cloud’s transformational power.”
