1:50 PM -- Something has lit a fire underneath the U.K.'s major business services players in recent months, with two announcements today representative of the bullish trend amongst many of the players.

First, COLT Telecom Group SA announced a €10 million ($13.9 million) managed services deal with a Dutch publishing company that includes the provision of virtual, or "cloud," services. (See COLT Wins €10M Deal.)

COLT has been working toward this sort of deal for a while, revamping its network resources and forming a managed services team. Now the strategy looks like it's paying off. (See Infinera Bolsters COLT's Backbone, COLT Lands New Deal, Ethernet Expo: COLT Calls the Shots, COLT Launches Managed Service, More Rides Coming on Colt's NGN, and Colt Unveils NGN Vendors.)

Second, ntl:Telewest Business, the corporate services division of cable operator Virgin Media Inc., has extended its IP VPN offering using BT Wholesale's network. (See ntl:Telewest Goes Global With BT.)

The Ethernet services specialist has been working hard on its customer services offerings, particularly through enhancements to its wholesale services management portal. The new deal to expand its IP services reach with consistent international service level agreements (SLAs) is another sign that it has customer satisfaction as a chief concern. (See ntl:Telewest Touts Portal.)

Today's news follows on the heels of other announcements from British service providers targeting the corporate and wholesale markets, as well as moves by international players with European business in their sights. (See NTT Beefs Up in Europe, C&W Wins Ericsson Deal, C&W Extends Its NGN, C&W Lands $337M Deal, Interoute Supports IPv6, and Interoute's Healthy Fiber Diet.)

— Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading