Box Joins BT’s Cloud Of Clouds

Box is the latest service to be offered by BT Global Services (BTGS) as part of its ‘cloud of clouds’ vision.

BT’s cloud of clouds has seen it offer direct access to public cloud platforms, such as Oracle, certain and offer cloud applications and cybersecurity products to customers. The idea is for it to be a neutral connector of all these various functions.

And now it wants to bring Box into the fold.

BT cloud of clouds

The two companies have identified a number of areas they can work on together, including cloud connectivity to Box as well as joint-selling and advising customers.

“As more of the customer base moves its own services to the cloud, BT is the cloud service integrator to provide the network to mould those together,” said Steve Masters, head of customer innovation at BTGS at Box World Tour in London.

“The Cloud of Cloud brings together the best of breed. If they’re a BT and Box customer there’s an opportunity to exploit that relationship.”

“BT has a history as a leader in delivering world-class IT services, and we’re delighted at the opportunity to work with them and help to bring even more companies to the cloud,” added David Benjamin, Box’s EMEA general manager.

Last February, BT was one of the winners of European Commission (EC) cloud contracts, but has endured a difficult few months.

An accounting scandal in Italy resulted in a £500 million write down at BT and there are suggestions BT could sell the unit. A number of significant UK clients are served under BT Business, including the Co-operative Group which has just entered into a five year deal of its own.

Box used its event to talk about how it wants to be the ‘glue’ that connects digital transformation and was joined by a number of other European organisations using its service.

These included Simon Harrison, CIO of Kingston University, who claimed the use of Box was helping it raise teaching standards as competition for students becomes more intense. He said students could access course materials on any device they wanted and meant they didn’t have to carry around USB flash drives that might get lost.

“The education sector is changing quite rapidly,” said Harrison. “Tools like Box help us undergo digital transformation.”

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