Bharti Airtel joined forces with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to boost its digital transformation and cloud services offering to its more than 1 million Indian enterprise customers.
Airtel said the partnership would differentiate its cloud products by combining AWS services with its data centre, network and telecom services. It plans to provide an integrated suite of sales, consulting and support services; along with enhanced security, scalability, and cloud management capabilities, it stated.
CIO and head of the operator’s Cloud and Security business, Harmeen Mehta explained the partnership combined “the world’s leading cloud platform” with Airtel’s “proven expertise in handling network, data centers, security, and cloud as an integrated solution”.
AWS Professional Services will be used to back a number of moves under the operator’s Airtel Cloud service, including Windows and SAP functionality; database migration; and security and risk governance offerings.
Airtel stated the main goal was to help enterprise customers migrate to the cloud and adopt new services. It said it currently serves more than 2,500 large enterprises and in excess of 1 million emerging businesses.
Practice lead at IDC India, Rishu Sharma predicted the value of the public cloud services market in the country would grow from US$3.4 billion this year to US$7.1 billion in 2024.
Media reports from June claimed Amazon was in talks with Airtel to invest US$2 billion in the operator.
