New service combines public cloud simplicity with private cloud security.

Interoute, a telecom provider, yesterday announced the launch of its Virtual Data Center (VDC). VDC launches with a choice of London, Geneva and Amsterdam and more locations are planned to be added in 2012.

The company claims that this enables organizations to create highly dynamic cloud computing services that are sensitive to the complex demands of European business. Its VDC is built into the fabric of its pan-European network, enabling organizations to deploy virtual computing and storage infrastructure for their enterprise applications in a matter of minutes. The service brings simplicity and security to the enterprise cloud to ensure that, instead of having to choose between the conveniences of the public cloud or the security of a private cloud - enterprises can now have both. To support compliance with European data legislation the VDC service also allows users to select between the different countries in Europe where the physical VDC infrastructure is located. As an added benefit, the company will not charge for transferring data between these locations or for connectivity to the VDC.

It states that its VDC is easily scalable, from just one server for one hour, to 100,000 machines across multiple countries. Its structured pay that is based on a 'pay for what you use' makes it as cost effective as a public cloud, but uses the company's own network infrastructure to give the additional security of a private cloud. Organizations are given the choice of importing their own appliances, so migrating from a public cloud becomes a simple click, or they can use their own company appliances to comply with their corporate standards. Businesses also have the option to use appliances certified by the company in the appliance library.

The company further states that performance can be optimized by choosing its service, no matter where users or the community are based. Equally, organizations concerned with compliance to individual laws on data privacy, leakage and retention across Europe can turn to it with confidence. Its presence in 29 countries means that the company is able to help by giving the level of data transparency and governance required to do business successfully in Europe.

It explains that unlike public cloud computing offerings, its VDC is built into the company's pan-European MPLS/IP network, providing organizations with the assurance of optimal routing, security, performance and end-to-end SLAs. It essentially takes care of the infrastructure, power, equipment, space and people requirements of creating a dynamic ICT environment, to enable organizations to focus on utilizing the applications to drive their business forward. Users can securely design, provision and manage their VDC in minutes, offering efficiency that far outweighs building their own cloud.

"With Virtual Data Center we are taking what Amazon has done in the world of public cloud computing and making it fit for all enterprise needs, either public or private. It essentially brings the simplicity, self-service and flexibility of the public cloud to organizations that still are not ready to abandon established security and performance," said Matthew Finnie, CTO of Interoute. "Many companies have shied away from cloud computing as they are either concerned over the lack of security or fear that the cloud could mean a lack of control over their data. With Virtual Data Center, we are allowing organizations to see right inside our pan-European cloud and decide where and how they want to store their data. This is cloud computing without any of the compromises."