Slow file transfers, laggy applications and stuttering video conference calls may seem like inconveniences, but they are all essentially costing enterprises time and money.
Looking to address these issues, global internet exchange operator DE-CIX and Microsoft have entered into a partnership to optimise cloud connectivity through the Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) which bypasses the public internet, reducing network “hops” with a direct cloud connection.
The net result of the partnership, according to Microsoft and DE-CIX, is to ensure that even at lower speeds, connectivity and security can be optimised for certain applications with none of the egress fees usually associated with cloud migration.
Explaining the rationale for the partnership, DE-CIX said that while slow transfers, laggy applications and stuttering video might sound like complaints from a bygone era, they are still plaguing workforces to this day. Performance lag has traditionally been caused by local hardware or software issues – such as an unsuitable operating systems or a lack of sufficient memory – but currently when most workloads depend on cloud-based applications, the issue stems from poorly optimised connectivity.
A 2022 survey from DE-CIX revealed that buffering and lag caused by slow internet connectivity was costing the average worker in Germany up to an average of 46 minutes per week. Calculated over a year, that would add up to almost an entire week’s worth of productivity lost – not to mention the disruptive impact such hold-ups can have on other tasks.
When users access cloud-based tools such as Teams or Outlook, data often travels through multiple network “hops” on the public internet, increasing the likelihood of latency, packet loss and performance bottlenecks, particularly during peak times.
MAPS fundamentally aims to make essential cloud-based apps work more reliably for businesses. It has been designed to tackle “one of the most common yet overlooked connectivity challenges in the modern workplace” – ensuring that business-critical SaaS applications perform smoothly and reliably.
From a technological standpoint, MAPS is a peering service that the software provider implements and provides through several service providers. This means partners such as DE-CIX must operate a network, have redundant locations and run their own fully staffed Network Operations Center (NOC). This is how Microsoft aggregates peering traffic while ensuring that support costs remain manageable.
By designing the system to bypass inefficient routing by establishing direct, high-priority connections between enterprises and Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure, MAPS is claimed to ensure predictable latency, improved performance and greater network stability, helping businesses eliminate the disruption plaguing their teams.
In addition, MAPS is attributed with optimising SaaS application access by improving network routing and reducing latency, and unlike traditional cloud access that relies on the public internet, establishes direct connections between enterprises and the Microsoft cloud infrastructure. The net result is said to be faster, more stable and provides a more secure data flow.
Moreover, MAPS is said to being about significant security and cost benefits. As regards to the latter, unlike traditional cloud connectivity models that often come with unexpected data transfer fees, MAPS does not incur cloud egress charges for SaaS applications.
The partners also said that businesses that rely heavily on Microsoft 365 services will benefit from consistent performance without hidden costs, making it a scalable and predictable solution for reducing lag and alleviating productivity bottlenecks caused by connectivity issues.
