Telstra acquires Readify for cloud, big data, IoT software

Telstra has announced the acquisition of Readify, a developer of Microsoft software applications, saying it will bolster the telecommunications provider's cloud offerings.

The Readify acquisition augments Telstra's purchase of Kloud in January, according to Telstra's executive director of Global Enterprise and Services Michelle Bendschneider, as well as its earlier acquisitions of O2 Networks, Bridgepoint Communications, and NSC.

"As we know, apps and software in general are playing an increasingly important role in businesses. Readify is recognised globally for its innovative software solutions and will further help us create software-led digital transformations with our customers," Bendschneider said.

"Readify will provide application development and data analytics services, nicely complementing Kloud's existing services. It will enable Telstra to add incremental value to customers in enterprise cloud applications, API-based customisation, and extensions, as well as business technology advisory services."

Readify, which has won several awards from Microsoft for its software solutions, has approximately 200 staff members, 160 of which are software developers. The company said the acquisition will allow its business to scale within Telstra.

Telstra continued expanding its cloud and managed network application services by acquiring Australian company Kloud in January, which provides professional and managed services to more than 80 corporate and government customers across Australia and Asia-Pacific, as well as supplying solutions for productivity, identity, security, application development, and cloud infrastructure for enterprise cloud applications.

Telstra had also acquired unified communications solutions and contact centre provider North Shore Connections (NSC) Group in August 2013; network integration services provider O2 Networks for a reported AU$60 million in January 2014; and information security, networking, and data management provider Bridgepoint in October 2014.

In May, Telstra flagged the importance in securing multi-cloud services, calling this "critical" to its overarching strategy, by entering a partnership with hybrid cloud security startup vArmour.

The partnership will see Australia's incumbent telco add another layer of security solutions to its enterprise managed services portfolio, and was kicked off by Telstra investing between $5 million and $10 million in vArmour's $41 million series D funding round.

In April, Telstra also unveiled a business multi-cloud connecting solution to support the use of hybrid cloud services Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Office365, VMware vCloud, and IBM SoftLayer. The solution, called Cloud Gateway, allows customers to connect directly to multiple public cloud environments via Telstra's IP network.

In March, Telstra announced its three software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualisation (NFV) products alongside Cisco to improve cloud security and global datacentre interconnection: Cloud Gateway Protection, Internet Virtual Private Network, and Data Centre Interconnect.

Cloud Gateway Protection is a virtual security application designed to secure cloud services, internet access, and Next IP networks against cyber attacks and unauthorised access, while Internet VPN provides a secure and encrypted office network over public internet for businesses to use across several sites and by mobile workers.

Data Centre Interconnect, the third product, extended Telstra's SDN PEN1 global datacentre interconnection product through the addition of Australian points of presence. Through PEN1, business customers can directly set up and configure links between overseas and domestic datacentres on flexible contracts.

Telstra in January also invested in Chinese cloud company Qiniu.