BT, on Tuesday announced a strategic collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in a move that reinforces its leadership position as a driving force in cloud services and will help customers fully reap the benefits of AWS in the UK and around the globe.

The announcement represents a significant milestone in the evolution of BT’s ‘Cloud of Clouds’ portfolio strategy, which connects customers easily and securely to the applications and data they need. As an AWS Partner Network (APN) Consulting Partner, BT already connects numerous multinational organisations to the AWS cloud.

Today’s announcement takes the collaboration between BT and AWS to the next level, focusing on networking, security and managed cloud services to transform how enterprise customers consume and utilise AWS at scale. This includes the launch of new customer initiatives such as BT’s ‘hybrid cloud landing zone’ as well as research and innovation in the evolution of network services and a comprehensive approach to security in the cloud. This will enhance the use of AWS globally for enterprise customers and allow them to accelerate cloud adoption.

BT’s ‘hybrid cloud landing zone’ is a market proposition comprising an integrated set of cloud deployment tools and designs. It will consist of ready-made blueprints for best practice hybrid cloud deployment, across multiple geographies and cloud environments, especially AWS. This is designed to help customers manage the complexity of multiple hybrid cloud environments, establish virtual networking between multiple geographic regions and maintain the highest levels of security across hybrid cloud environments, at scale.

The ready-made blueprints will draw on BT’s global network scale, security expertise and managed services capabilities to give customers much greater visibility and control across the entirety of their estate. BT will utilise virtualised components for flexible connectivity and pre-embedded security, increasing speed to deploy for customers and optimising overall cloud performance. BT will develop this initiative with support from AWS, working collaboratively with customers. Early adoption will be available in the first half of 2018.

BT and AWS will also work together on a comprehensive approach to security, allowing customers to extend their existing security controls to the cloud, and supporting customers with compliance. BT will make a catalogue of embedded network security, anti-DDoS and threat intelligence products available on the AWS Marketplace. Longer term, BT research and innovation will include identity and access management through to the evolution of end-to-end security services. BT has already deployed a dedicated instance of its Cyber Security Platform on AWS for a multinational customer and is working closely with AWS to make this a standardised and replicable offer for all customers.

Additionally, BT will further invest in its professional services capabilities to help guide customers on their digital transformation journey and their adoption of future networks, hybrid cloud and AWS.

“The new strategic collaboration with AWS represents a major evolution in BT’s Cloud of Clouds. Together, BT and AWS are uniquely placed to help customers around the world remove complexity from their digital transformation journey. Today’s announcement is just the beginning, with much more to come,” said Bas Burger, CEO, Global Services, BT.

BT and AWS intend to further collaborate in shaping the evolution of network services, taking advantage of emerging network technologies to deliver new flexible connectivity options in line with changing customer needs.

“Cloud is the new normal and organisations around the world are moving their applications to AWS so that they can focus on delivering the best for their customers. BT’s investment and expertise in the cloud will further help enterprise customers fully leverage the scale, security and agility of AWS,” said Gavin Jackson, UK Managing Director, AWS.