Megaport Singapore and Alibaba Cloud have struck a deal that is set to see global customers get direct access to services from the rapidly expanding Chinese cloud provider.
The Megaport (ASX:MP1) subsidiary and the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group announced the deal, which is slated to provide enterprises with direct and scalable access to Alibaba Cloud via the Megaport global software defined network (SDN) on 17 May.
The partnership between both companies is global in nature and will cover integration with the Megaport SDN throughout various regions, including Australia. With Alibaba Cloud headquartered in CHina, the contract was signed out of the Megaport Singapore office.
"Megaport signs global partnerships under different Megaport subsidiaries that best align to the needs of our partners and from where partnerships were actioned," Megaport CEO, Vincent English, said.
Alibaba Cloud vide-president, Yeming Wang, said the deal enables Alibaba Cloud to extend its edge closer to enterprises, provide consistent network performance for its customers, and expand its direct access capabilities around the world.
“The global reach of the Megaport SDN makes it simpler for Alibaba Cloud to access new markets,” Wang said.
“We’re pleased to deliver consumption-based, direct cloud access to our customers through Megaport’s SDN to provide greater value and bring our services closer to enterprises. Megaport is an ideal partner to deliver these services and enable our customers to leverage powerful and on-demand cloud connectivity.”
According to Megaport, by accessing Alibaba Cloud Express Connect - a dedicated network connection that links customers with their virtual private clouds through Megaport’s SDN - enterprises will be able to scale their cloud connectivity and enable rapid provisioning of capacity to Alibaba Cloud.
The Australian-listed global elastic Interconnection services provider said that the arrangement enables Alibaba Cloud’s customers to access Megaport’s global network in more than 20 markets including Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe.
The company added that, from a single global account, Megaport customers could cut down latency and deploy globally on Alibaba Cloud’s network of cloud regions.
English said the partnership with Alibaba Cloud lets the company strengthen its global footprint.
“Direct, dedicated access to Alibaba Cloud’s services adds value to our platform," English said.
“This partnership enables customers globally to directly access services from the leading cloud provider based in China. Partnering with China’s largest public cloud provider aligns with our strategy to enrich our ecosystem and provides greater service options for our customers,” he said.
The move also appears to bolster Alibaba Cloud’s commitment to the Australian channel.
Alibaba Cloud general manager of global business, Ethan Yu, previously said that the company’s globalisation strategy in Australia is only possible via localisation, and highlighted the importance of leveraging local channel partners that offer "innovative solutions".
“The middle-sized and small sized ones will be our preferred partners, however, we do not exclude other partners. We are looking for channel partners that do not only have customer reach, but those who offer innovative solutions on top of Alibaba Cloud,” Yu said previously.
The company also recently opened a new data centre in Sydney and launched a global marketplace and AliLaunch program for technology partners late last year.
