Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud have introduced a service that allows organizations to create direct, private connections between their platforms. This offering removes the need for physical routing infrastructure and simplifies what has often been a multi-step provisioning process.
Using standard cloud interfaces, teams can now enable dedicated network links in minutes and manage them through tools already in place within their cloud environments.
The announcement follows a significant outage in October that affected large-scale applications hosted on AWS. That event disrupted platforms such as Snapchat and Reddit and resulted in estimated losses between $500 million and $650 million. In this context, the new service addresses a need for more dependable cross-cloud connectivity.
Salesforce has already begun using the system to support distributed data workflows.
Why It Matters: Organizations are running more workloads across multiple cloud providers, but linking those environments has remained slow and resource-intensive. This new service provides a defined method for private connectivity, reduces setup delays, and allows for operational consistency across cloud networks.
- Enables Fast Deployment of Dedicated Network Paths Between Clouds: The joint service connects AWS and Google Cloud through a managed, private network channel. Customers manage bandwidth and routing directly through their existing cloud interfaces, using familiar tools and workflows. The setup process does not require coordination with outside network providers or installation of hardware. This reduces deployment time significantly and allows network teams to integrate cross-cloud traffic into their existing infrastructure without adjusting network designs.
- Introduces a Common Specification for Cloud-to-Cloud Connectivity: The companies have released an open API and networking framework as part of the launch. It defines how connectivity should be established and managed between providers. Other cloud services can adopt this model if they choose, which could reduce the need for proprietary integrations and simplify network management across large environments. For organizations building multi-region or multi-provider systems, having a shared standard can reduce overhead and lead to more predictable performance.
- Built with Fault Isolation and Secure Transit: The system relies on physically separated interconnect facilities and routers to maintain availability. Network paths are encrypted using MACsec to protect traffic in transit between edge routers. Both cloud providers use ongoing monitoring to detect issues and maintain stable connections. This design allows teams to treat the link as a reliable part of their infrastructure rather than a temporary or limited-use solution.
- Adopted by Enterprises to Support Data Access Across Platforms: Salesforce is one of the early users of the service. It uses the network to support connections between services hosted in different clouds, allowing data from Google Cloud to integrate with tools and workflows built inside AWS. This is especially relevant for AI and analytics workloads, where fast access to distributed datasets is necessary. By using the service, teams at Salesforce avoid delays linked to manual provisioning and benefit from a unified experience across platforms.
- Addresses Technical Gaps in Distributed Infrastructure Management: Organizations that rely on more than one cloud provider often encounter delays when moving data or managing services across environments. This new offering reduces that friction by introducing a consistent network interface and eliminating reliance on public internet routing. It supports existing operational frameworks, allowing teams to apply the same configuration methods used within a single cloud. As a result, multi-provider environments can be managed as unified infrastructure rather than as disconnected systems.
Go Deeper -> Amazon and Google launch multicloud service for faster connectivity – Reuters
AWS and Google Cloud collaborate to simplify multicloud networking – Google Cloud
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