CenturyLink has expanded its global strategic collaboration with VMware to deepen the level of software-defined data center (SDDC) technologies available to enterprise customers.

This collaboration aims to help preserve and enhance customer investments in on-premises data centers and extend strategic workloads and applications to the cloud.

Customers will also be able to leverage VMware's technologies with CenturyLink's portfolio of network, managed hosting and cloud solutions.

"More companies are looking for service provider expertise in managing public and private cloud solutions in various hybrid IT models," says Bill Corbin, senior vice president of strategic partner alliances and channel operations, CenturyLink.

"The expansion of our long-standing relationship with VMware benefits our customers through further enhancements to our cloud portfolio with deeper integration of VMware technologies."

Geoff Waters, vice president, Global Service Provider Channel, VMwar, adds that as business leaders map out a path to the cloud, they want simplicity, security and choice in how they consume and leverage IT services.

"With a robust set of organisations utilising VMware technologies, customers can benefit even further from CenturyLink's expertise in building, managing and securing cloud environments across critical workloads, hybrid infrastructure, and vital network links."  CenturyLink manages more than 75,000 virtual machines for enterprise customers, deployed in 14 countries in a globally consistent operating model.

It is also one of the largest VMware vCloud Air Network service providers hosting and managing VMware infrastructure in the world.