PCCW Global is building an OpenStack cloud, using Canonical’s Ubuntu OpenStack and CPlane Networks’ Multi-Site Manager, which does OpenStack cloud orchestration.

The cloud is initially being implemented at two PCCW Global data centers — in Reston, Virginia, and in Hong Kong — with plans to expand to other cities around the world.

PCCW Global is calling the project a “distributed cloud” or a “hybrid private cloud.” It aims to bridge the gap between the proliferation of connected devices and the trend toward public clouds. It does so by delivering cloud services to the edge of the network. And these services can be deployed through self-service provisioning.

Bret Rehart, chief information officer of PCCW Global, said in a statement, “Customers have needs for new applications for NFV and Internet of Things (IoT) and want them faster, at the right location, and tailored to their specific needs. Our aim is to provide dynamic network and cloud-based services.”

SDxCentral wrote about this project in January 2016. Since then, PCCW Global has been focused on testing the cloud and adding new capabilities to support its customers’ network functions virtualization and IoT applications as well as public cloud integrations.

In January 2016, the partners said the cloud would initially comprise the two named data centers but would expand to six data centers. However, that has not yet happened.

Robert Keahey, VP of marketing with CPlane, said, “They still have plans to expand to multiple data centers and locations, but the final number and timing is confidential.”

CPlane’s Multi-Site Manager effectively replaces OpenStack’s networking component Neutron with CPlane’s proprietary technology.

“In general, customers have experienced performance and scalability limitations with standard Neutron networking,” said Keahey. “That is why customers such as PCCW Global have chosen commercial solutions such as ours.”