Teraco, Africa’s largest and only vendor-neutral colocation data centre, today announced the availability of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Direct Connect through Teraco’s Johannesburg JB1 and Cape Town CT1 data centres. This will enable customers to directly access AWS services in AWS infrastructure Regions around the world. The benefits of AWS Direct Connect are dedicated connectivity to AWS Regions, consistent network performance, and reduced bandwidth costs.
AWS Direct Connect is a dedicated network connection that brings robust and secure connectivity between on-premises or colocation environments and the cloud. Enabling organizations to transfer data via a private connection, AWS Direct Connect is ideal for organizations with latency- or compliance-sensitive workloads.
AWS Direct Connect can be used to access all AWS services in any AWS Region globally and create high-performance hybrid infrastructure and provide improved security and efficiency for sensitive workloads.
AWS Direct Connect is available at Teraco through physical cross connections in both the Johannesburg and Cape Town data centres and via Teraco Cloud Exchange. Lex van Wyk, CEO, Teraco, says that direct connection to AWS is becoming a critical component as digital transformation drives renewed energy into virtualised, on-demand provider-based services: “AWS Direct Connect is an exciting addition to Teraco. Clients looking to build hybrid solutions with their dedicated IT infrastructures now have choice. Teraco offers immediate activation of secure connections from our clients to AWS. The value of these cloud computing options will also be seen in the different types of connections clients require.” He says that within Teraco, clients can peer via NAPAfrica or connect via Teraco Cloud Exchange.
With cloud becoming an increasingly important part of the IT landscape, organisations need to manage both on premises and cloud applications, both in-house and outsourced. Choosing the right deployment methods for specific workloads is essentially creating new network architecture. Van Wyk says that Teraco is excited to offer clients another access route to multiple clouds with private connect solutions.
The Teraco Cloud Exchange platform now offers another world leading cloud computing platform, offering predictable, high performance, SLA based connections that make Teraco’s facilities the ideal location to build cloud and on-premises hybrid architecture solutions: “We have successfully built Africa’s largest Internet ecosystem, and we are excited to offer clients access to all levels within this now complete ecosystem, including content and cloud providers.”
“Our data centres act as a true cloud hub, enabling interconnection between cloud service providers, their clients and channel partners making it attractive to those building and managing reliable and high-performance hybrid IT solutions. Thanks to our diverse and populated carrier community, our clients are provided with several choices,” says van Wyk.
About Teraco
Founded in 2008, Teraco Data Environments is the first provider of resilient, carrier, cloud and vendor neutral data environments in South Africa. It is also the biggest data centre in Africa. Clients benefit from the cost savings and improved resilience of securely housing their information systems and networking equipment in a colocation facility purpose-built and operated to global best practice by an expert organisation with an absolute focus on data centre technology and infrastructure. Teraco is also home to Africa’s largest Internet eXchange Point (IXP) NAPAfrica. It is one of the top 20 largest global IXPs by membership. Since its launch in 2012, it has grown to over 140 GBPS of traffic and 200 members, and is now a critical component of Africa’s Internet eco-system.