Multi-cloud continues to gather momentum as leading suppliers announce products and services designed to help IT departments provision, manage and secure the many different cloud services they lease from different providers simultaneously.

These announcements mark two standout trends: firstly, the continuing shift away from product based hardware or software license fees into a service-orientated model that offers both more flexibility and less risk of overpaying for underused infrastructure for the buyer; and secondly the establishment of an all-important recurring revenue streams for the supplier.

Communications key to self-driving success

The Internet of Things (IoT) represents a significant commercial opportunity for communication service providers (CSPs), able to supply and manage the underlying network connectivity needed to link tens of billions of sensors and devices over the next three years, a large proportion of which will reside in connected cars.

Access to BT’s dark fibre network will open new commercial possibilities for communication service providers

After sustained pressure from the UK telecoms regulator Ofcom BT has agreed to open up its dark fibre network to rival communications service providers (CSPs) from October 1st 2017. The new product - Dark Fibre Access (DFA) - should allow companies which want to lease BT’s network to deliver a wider range of higher speed network services to business and consumer customers under their own brand.