CenturyLink's data center services subsidiary Savvis has launched a new cloud service built on VMware vCloud Director and Cisco hardware. The service, called Savvis Cloud Data Center, provides virtual compute, storage and network resources that can be used as part of hybrid clouds.

Savvis CTO Andrew Higginbotham said businesses were looking for hybrid solutions that allow them to move on-premise applications to the cloud. “Designed for customers who rely on VMware technologies, Savvis Cloud Data Center streamlines extensions into the cloud with easy-to-use familiar interfaces and tools for scaling performance to their needs,” he explained.

Cloud Data Center standardizes to VMware vCloud Director 5.1 and runs on Cisco's Unified Computing System (UCS). UCS is a converged-infrastructure package that consists of Cisco network switches and servers.

Dave O'Callaghan, senior VP of global channels and alliances at VMware, said the new service enabled control and choice for running applications, as well as effective asset protection. “Savvis is a partner that understands how to use VMware technologies to help companies build, deploy and manage critical business solutions,” he said.

One of Cloud Data Center's beta clients is Cloudswell, whose CIO Roger Hale provided some positive feedback about the service.

“We vetted many providers with great solutions in specific types of service offerings, but chose Savvis Cloud Data Center based upon its ability to provide top-tier services across many different service classes,” he said. “Working with Savvis, we have employed a hybrid cloud solution that provides scalability, flexibility and budgetary control with the visibility and auditability to meet our customers' information security and compliance requirements.”