New partnership to sort cloud-computing issues
By Maurice Garvey
DATA centre company Equinix is partnering with Citywest communications firm AirSpeed Telecom to cut latency problems that beset corporate users of cloud computing – particularly staff working remotely from rural areas.
The two businesses said their new product, AirSpeed Cloud Connectivity, would help Irish clients that cannot support remote working for employees because their slow links to cloud-based services are prone to frozen displays, swirling circles and server disconnections.
AirSpeed Telecom – Charles O’Reilly, and Kevin O’Connor, Equinix
They said the service – officially launched this week – would allow firms to establish on-demand virtual connections in near-real time. It promises bandwidth ranging from 10Mbs to 10Gbs for connection to more than 145 cloud service providers via dedicated private lines.
Equinix – a California-based company with more than 200 data centres worldwide, operate four data centres in Ireland, including one at Kilcarbery Park, Clondalkin and another in Citywest.
A recent survey by Equinix, found up to 25 per cent of Irish businesses might not be GDPR compliant.
Equinix channel manager Kevin O’Connor said its recent survey of 103 Irish information technology executives found a large minority – 38 per cent – suspect that their growing reliance on cloud-based services would result in more data breaches.
“Ireland’s IT decision-makers are cautious of the impact remote working will have on cybersecurity – and rightly so,” he said.
“Organisations must ensure that in their efforts to modernise their business, they are also considering the security risks in doing so.”
He said remote working should boost productivity, but unreliable and slow connections “will slow down workloads and frustrate users”.
“Having direct access to the world’s leading cloud service providers is essential in removing these hurdles.”
AirSpeed, founded in 2003 and based in Citywest in southwest Dublin, is 100 per cent owned by the Irish Infrastructure Fund, which is managed by AMP Capital and Irish Life Investment Managers.
