Microsoft’s customers are now able to use private connections to the company’s UK data centres.
The Azure ExpressRoute and PSN/N3 Connectivity feature is just one of the new services Microsoft has unveiled since the company launched its Azure and Office 365 cloud offering in this country three months ago.
Since then, thousands of customers – including the Ministry of Defence, the Met Police and parts of the NHS – have signed up to take advantage of the sites, which offer UK data residency, security and reliability.
The new connectivity feature allows customers who would like a hybrid option – storing some information online and some on their premises – to manage their data quickly and safely.
Liam Maxwell, the Government’s National Technology Adviser, said: “The arrival of local data centres in the UK is fantastic news for British businesses and the public sector alike.
“Cloud services enable organisations to change how they deliver existing services and to design new services for their customers, reshaping how they engage employees and reduce operational costs.”
Related reading
GovWiFi moves a step closer
GDS says it is testing an automatic WiFi sign-in for government buildings
Councils encouraged to look at digital to plug the social care deficit
Digital social care solutions can bring cost savings and enhance services, expert says
CCS urged to up its game
The National Audit Office (NAO) has published a hard-hitting report urging the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) to step up its game
The digital transformation journey (Part Five): Embracing the Cloud
In the final instalment of our five-part look at key public sector digital transformation trends we focus on cloud-based infrastructure and systems – and the challenges that need to be overcome if 2017 is to be the year when cloud really hits new heights
