AWS Direct Connect: Reach your Amazon Cloud

Over 70% of the surveyed respondents used VPN or public Internet in order to access their cloud services. 38% of the respondents used Amazon Web Services (AWS) and only 28% of all the respondents used a direct Cloud Connect to access any cloud services.

The UK Cloud Snapshot Survey 2017 identified a number of challenges facing UK organisations, including GDPR, Brexit, Data Sovereignty and the increase in Cyber Security attacks. One of the easier issues to address, whilst also assisting with GDPR, Data Sovereignty and Security, are the options to connect a private network to the cloud, such as AWS Direct Connect.

Cloud Connect Explainer Video

Why use AWS Direct Connect?

Amazon Direct Connect is a service that enables customers to create private connections between Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres and their own networks, whether that is on-premise infrastructure or colocation. Cloud Connectivity Providers Explained covers that particular topic in more detail. AWS Direct Connect interconnects are direct, they don’t rely on public internet, and offer far greater reliability, significantly more security and lower latency (speed) than can be achieved over a typical internet connection or VPN. AWS Direct Connect will almost always result in cost-savings too. You can find out more detail regarding Azure ExpressRoute here: AWS Direct Connect Overview: Extend your on-premises network to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS Direct Connect Network Overview

How to get an AWS Direct Connect

In order to take advantage of the benefits AWS Direct Connect can provide, we work with Direct Connect partner providers. One of our partners is Megaport, allowing you to easily connect to an AWS Direct Connect Interconnection node from any of their 170+ global locations. What’s more we even absorb the cost of the Direct Connect Port fee. You can scale your bandwidth up and down to suit your needs in exactly the same way you already do for your AWS resources. Megaport was the world’s first SDN-based Elastic Interconnection platform designed to provide a secure, seamless, and on-demand way for enterprises, networks, and services to interconnect.

Provisioning connections between data centres and external services has always been a challenge, either due to cost or due to complexity. Not so long ago the only viable option was a direct Point-to-Point, which unless the two locations were within reasonable proximity, high capacity connections were an eye-watering expense. Connections between diverse geo-locations, such as between countries, required backhauls and XConnects between friendly data centres or peers, often taking weeks or months to provision. You can read more about the many DIY options in Cloud Network Providers | Connect Your Private Network to the Cloud.

Why use Serviceteam IT & Megaport

AWS Networking Competency differentiates Megaport as an AWS Partner Network (APN) member that provides specialised and demonstrable technical proficiency alongside proven customer success with specific focus on Networking based on scalable, secure, direct connectivity

consistent connectivity to optimise the provisioning process
flexible contractual terms without the lock-in
to make connectivity options broader, simpler, and far more streamlined
you only pay for what you need, when you need it
AWS Direct Connect port fee included

“The innovation and breadth of services at AWS have always been very attractive to our enterprise customers. Our SDN helps enterprises rapidly connect to AWS Direct Connect. The vast reach of Megaport’s global network footprint increases accessibility to AWS services by enabling AWS Direct Connect in new regions and empowers enterprises with a consumption-based networking model. We’re honoured to have achieved AWS Networking Competency status as we continue to develop features to make it even easier to get our customers connected.”

Vincent English, Chief Executive Officer, Megaport.

True multi-platform cloud connectivity

One of the things that allows Megaport to stand out against their competitors for Serviceteam IT is the shared commitment to a vendor-agnostic vision of the cloud. By consolidating multiple cloud vendors, enabling customers to quickly and simply deploy multi-cloud environments, leveraging multiple public cloud options as well as their own data centres, which are all accessible from a single interface.

With over 20 years of experience, Serviceteam IT design and deliver sophisticated connectivity, communication, continuity, and cloud services, for organisations that need to stay connected 24/7. We take the time to fully understand your current challenges, and provide a solution that gives you a clear understanding of what you are purchasing and the benefits it will bring you.

To find out how we can help you, call us on 0121 468 0101, use the Contact Us form, or why not drop in and visit us at 49 Frederick Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 1HN.

We’d love to hear from you!