Bright House Networks is headed into the cloud with new infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for enterprise business customers.

On the IaaS front, Bright House Networks will offer both cloud compute and cloud backup services. On the SaaS front, the cable operator is introducing hosted application support for Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint and web hosting.

With its new cloud services, Bright House is touting several advantages for business customers, including lower upfront capital investment requirements and greater performance and cost predictability. The company is also emphasizing its ability to provide private fiber connectivity for greater security, low-latency connectivity and carrier-class reliability.

"Productivity-boosting, cloud-based IaaS and SaaS solutions offer companies of all sizes the agility and cost-efficiencies needed to expand and succeed in today's competitive environment," said Craig Cowden, chief network officer and senior vice president of Enterprise Solutions at Bright House in a press release. "Unlike some of the other national cloud warehouse vendors, our solutions are delivered over our private, secure, fiber-based wide area network. Our clients know they can expect the best from the cloud when it's embedded as an integral part of their overall customized network solution from Bright House Networks."

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Cable companies have typically been slow to offer true cloud services, preferring instead to stick with voice and data connectivity for the commercial market with a particular emphasis on Ethernet offerings. (See 5 Top US MSOs Make Ethernet Leaderboard.)

Time Warner Cable Inc. (NYSE: TWC), which is closely tied to Bright House, is an exception to that rule, however, having bought managed hosting and cloud services company NaviSite (Nasdaq: NAVI) in 2011. Through NaviSite, TWC sells a range of cloud services from hosted applications to self-service cloud products to managed services covering network, security, storage and more.

Charter Communications Inc. has also made clear that it's interested in making a greater push into the business services market with its proposed acquisition of both Time Warner Cable and Bright House. (See Charter Plans Business Services, Wireless Push .)

— Mari Silbey, Senior Editor, Cable/Video, Light Reading