8x8 enhances Asia Pacific reach with SoftBank partnership

8x8 (Nasdaq: EGHT) on Wednesday expanded its presence in Asia Pacific by striking a new partnership with Japan-based SoftBank to offer virtualized cloud-based data services.

Under the terms of the agreement, SoftBank will license 8x8's subscription-based "Zerigo" enterprise cloud software.

By combining the Zerigo software with the new VDI software, SoftBank said it will be able to offer a large set of virtualized cloud services to its large enterprise customers using Vblock products from VCE, a converged cloud infrastructure systems provider.

For SoftBank, the benefit of the pact is quicker time to market.

Instead of having to build these capabilities from scratch, it can simply use 8x8's already established software solutions to address its customers' cloud service needs. And while these new services will be deployed in Japan, SoftBank plans to extend the service to other parts of Asia in addition to Europe and the United States.

Striking an agreement with SoftBank also has a few advantages for 8x8.

In addition to providing it with development and installation fees and ongoing license fees over an initial 36-month contract, it is another way to expand upon the company's "Global Reach" initiative.

Coming on the heels of 8x8's recent move to expand into the Canadian business services market, Huw Rees, vice president of Business Development for 8x8, said in a recent interview with FierceTelecom that Global Reach helps bolster the service provider's ability to increase the delivery of its services "in markets we serve across the world."

For more:
- see the release

Year in Review 2012: UC heads to the cloud

Related articles:
8X8 extends business service reach into Canada
8x8 establishes new headquarters in San Jose
Spotlight: 8x8 faces regulatory hurdle in Utah
Gartner expects leaders to emerge as cloud-based UC market matures