AT&T Synaptic Cloud Platform Enhancements Arrive

AT&T has announced several updates to its cloud offerings, enabling new services like virtual private clouds, better compliance for cloud storage, a new mobile cloud application, and new integrations with third-party developers, the company claims. In addition, AT&T is touting a new role in the Cloud Security Alliance, helping to define cloud-based security-as-a-service.

But does AT&T plan to partner or compete with SMB solutions providers and emerging cloud services providers (CSPs)? We’ll be sure to ask company representatives during next week’s Parallels Summit (Feb. 22-24, Orlando, Fla).

In the meantime, here are the highlights of the new updates to the AT&T Synaptic Compute as a Service and Synaptic Storage as a Service solutions, as per the company’s official press release:

• Synaptic Compute now integrates with the AT&T VPN Service to offer virtual private clouds, with enhanced tools to simplify purchasing, configuration and management.
• Users of Synaptic Compute now have a wider array of operating system templates to choose from.
• Synaptic Compute offers enhanced firewall policy management for use-cases where regulatory compliance is important.
• On that note, AT&T Synaptic Storage now offers longer-term data retention, as well as compression and management capabilities.
• A forthcoming smartphone application will allow users to move data into and out of cloud storage on-the-go.
• AT&T is inviting cloud service providers and developers to build new capabilities on top of their compute and storage platforms. Participants include frequent TalkinCloud, The VAR Guy and MSPmentor blog subjects like CommVault, Riverbed Technologies and Cirtas.

While these updates probably make for a happy AT&T Synaptic developer and user base, the telecom industry has a long way to go if they expect to take the limelight in the cloud services market. This is the first major AT&T cloud announcement TalkinCloud has spotted in recent months.

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