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State Unveils Cloud Provider Interconnection Service

The service enables customers to connect directly to cloud service providers. The California Department of Technology onboarded its first customer onto the service this week.

The California Department of Technology (CDT) announced on Monday the availability of a new Cloud Provider Interconnection (CPI) service.

The service enables customers to connect directly to cloud service providers, the department said.

"The CPI service allows customers to isolate their cloud connections from existing Internet traffic through direct, encrypted connections. This not only reduces potential security exposures of the Internet, but allows customers to take advantage of the existing data center security features with the capability to connect to multiple cloud service providers in multiple regions," CDT explained in its announcement.

Customers can predict and manage costs with a flat rate billing model and pre-established Service Level Agreements with the Statewide Data Center, CDT explained.

"We actually got that [CPI service] up and running on the first of the month here, and we're happy to say we were able to onboard our first customer actually yesterday [Sunday]," said Scott MacDonald, the Department of Technology's CalCloud project director.

The customer, MacDonald explained, had a private connection going directly to their provider using the public Internet. In the switchover, they gave them direct access to their environment.

The advantages to the CPI include higher speeds, less latency and reduced network costs. The secure connection also allows the Department of Technology to put in place some of its security tools, MacDonald said.

The goal is to make the Cloud Provider Interconnects required within the state of California's executive branch.

"We want to make sure that through achievement of standardization from a technological perspective in the state, we want all of that to go through the Statewide Data Center. We think that's the best way to secure it. ... That way we can identify the right security standards are in place and ensure that security stamp is there," said Chris Cruz, California's deputy state CIO.

 

Matt Williams was Managing Editor of Techwire from June 2014 through May 2017.