VMware Cloud Provider Program

Powering the Cloud in the Czech Republic

O2 IT Services is the largest integrated telecom provider in the Czech Republic, serving more than 6 million customers. Find out how they uniquely positioned themselves in the Czech market after becoming VMware Cloud Verified.

Blog was originally posted here.

Given its pedigree, it’s no surprise that Prague-based O2 IT Services is experiencing rapid growth. The company’s engineers and IT experts first honed their skills managing the corporate network of its parent: O2, the largest integrated telecom provider in the Czech Republic, which today serves more than 6 million customers.

The sheer scale of the infrastructure that ultimately led to the creation of O2 IT Services is no less impressive. O2’s three data centers — all of which are VMware Cloud Verified and based in Prague.

“Being VMware Cloud Verified gives us a unique position in the Czech market and increases customers’ trust in our services,” says Josef Vašek, product manager, cloud solutions at O2. It’s a mark of confidence in each of O2’s data centers, he adds, as well as in the power of its O2 Cloud service.

“Having three of the most powerful data centers in our region enables us to offer the O2 Cloud with performance and service level guarantees that exceed the needs of the most demanding enterprises.”

Drawing on this powerful infrastructure, O2 IT Services guides customers throughout the entire IT lifecycle. The company offers Infrastructure-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service.

It also provides oversight and operation of the IT function with regard to infrastructure. This includes the management and provisioning of all services, including highly targeted ones that share the same demanding service level agreements and performance standards.

“Purely hardware-based networks have reached the end of their lifecycle,” Vašek says. “Organizations in every industry need to run diverse applications and all organizations want to lower IT costs, gain more flexibility in how they allocate resources, and secure their mission-critical applications. The cloud is the answer, but enterprises remain rightfully cognizant that their data will no longer be kept on premises, that security is of crucial importance and that regulatory requirements must be addressed. That’s why it’s crucial that we not only deliver the expertise our customers need, but back it up with a network that’s based on proven VMware technology they trust.”

The company’s approach is resonating with an increasingly diverse customer base that includes many public-sector agencies engaged in e-government initiatives, as well as companies in virtually every industry that utilize CRM, ERP, and other critical applications.

“When you look at our customers, whether it’s a construction industry powerhouse like GEOSAN GROUP or a singular agency like the Czech Post, there is a shared desire for a partner that’s not only able to put the right IT in place, but also to use it to provide service levels that were inconceivable even a few short years ago,” says Vašek.

“At the end of the day, we’re empowering our customers to focus on what they do best by taking care of the IT they require to get the job done.”

Learn more about O2 IT Services and its partnership with VMware here.