Telstra expands operations in Europe with network expansion in Paris

Telstra, a telecommunications and technology company, has  expanded its business in Europe with the Telstra Programmable Network soon to be available via new points of presence (PoPs) in Frankfurt and Paris in addition to a new office in Paris that will serve as Telstra’s hub for Continental Europe.

This builds on Telstra’s already strong presence in Europe and follows recent investments including the acquisition of UK-based technology services business Company85.

Tom Homer, Telstra’s Managing Director for EMEA, said the expansion is part of Telstra’s strategy to grow its position across the continent and help businesses expand, particularly into the Asia Pacific region.

“Our new office in the La Défense area of Paris will be a hub for our European business. This hub will be crucial for our expansion across the continent. We already have entities in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden as well as an indirect channel partnership with IPSILAN, a French technology services consultancy, to distribute Telstra’s Cisco-based unified communications solutions. We will triple the size of our team in the city and have a dedicated group of people serving customers in the media industry, which is a key vertical for us,” said Homer.

“As organisations in Europe look to digitally transform their businesses, whether it’s to capture opportunities in new markets, create new products and services or improve efficiency, they are increasingly seeking integrated solutions for their network, security and cloud infrastructure, as well as advice on implementation and management,” said Homer.

“Our vision is to deliver an advanced network together with value-adding technology services such as consulting, security and collaboration solutions, so businesses in Europe can realise the full potential of cloud computing and meet the rapidly growing demand for data and applications,” added Homer.

The new PoPs will offer flexible and dynamic access to the Telstra Programmable Network, a leading digital platform for enterprise network services built on Software-Defined Networking.

The Telstra Programmable Network provides near-real time on-demand connectivity to clouds, data centres and a partner ecosystem through one portal, transforming the traditional networking experience. Businesses with operations in France and Germany will be able to optimise their IT through the automated provisioning of new applications and services, real-time data insights on network usage and consumption-based pricing without the need for significant infrastructure upgrades.

“The availability of the Telstra Programmable Network builds on the significant capacity investments we have made in the region, which include PoPs in Copenhagen, Düsseldorf and a second one in Paris that provide access to virtual private networks via Telstra’s IPVPN solution,” said Homer.

“The strength of our high bandwidth, low latency network, which includes the largest and most diverse subsea network in Asia Pacific with links to Europe, as well as our presence in key markets means we can provide both the connectivity and the expertise for businesses looking to expand.”

This latest expansion follows Telstra’s acquisition of Company85, which provides data centre, workspace, cloud, security and network services, in June last year.

“Our acquisition of Company85 was another step in strengthening our position in Europe. We are now able to engage in IT transformation conversations with prospective customers early in the proposal stage, which is creating demand for our core network services in the region,” said Homer.

Telstra has been providing services in the UK and Europe for more than 20 years, with more than 400 employees across the region.