Standard Chartered selects Broadcom platform for global private cloud

Standard Chartered and Broadcom have announced a long-term technology commitment to build a private cloud base for the bank’s global operations across 54 markets. The bank said 70% of its worldwide infrastructure footprint is already running on the new architecture, which is intended to support critical banking services with greater consistency and resilience.

The programme centres on VMware Cloud Foundation, or VCF, Broadcom’s software-defined private cloud platform. Standard Chartered said it has shifted infrastructure delivery to a fully integrated private cloud environment using VCF, with the aim of meeting security and regulatory requirements while standardising operations across its international network.

For a global bank, private cloud infrastructure is a way to apply cloud-style automation and standard operating controls within an environment built for regulated workloads. A software-defined model uses software to manage infrastructure functions consistently across locations, rather than relying on separate configurations in each market.

Standard Chartered said VCF places zero-trust security controls directly into the infrastructure layer. In zero-trust security models, systems are designed around continuous verification rather than broad implicit access. The bank also said the platform provides uninterrupted availability and reduces infrastructure deployment time from weeks to one day.

Bank frames platform as core modernisation

John Sharratt, global head of technology and infrastructure at Standard Chartered, said the bank’s move to a fully virtualised, software-defined infrastructure across global operations helps it respond to client demand while reinforcing resilience and regulatory compliance.

Sharratt said long-term investments with global service providers including Broadcom support the bank’s ability to deliver “always-on banking services” and speed product development on a secure private cloud base.

The companies positioned the agreement as part of Standard Chartered’s broader infrastructure modernisation programme. The bank said the platform underpins core banking, payments and digital services, areas where downtime, latency and regulatory control are central operating concerns for large financial institutions.

Broadcom highlights automation and AI readiness

Krish Prasad, senior vice-president and general manager of Broadcom’s VMware Cloud Foundation division, said global financial institutions need infrastructure that combines resilience, security and operational simplicity at scale.

Prasad said Broadcom is supporting Standard Chartered’s move toward a more automated, AI-driven private cloud using VMware Cloud Foundation. The announcement did not provide financial terms for the commitment.

Standard Chartered described the current rollout as evidence that a common private cloud model can operate at global scale. The bank said the architecture is intended to provide a secure and resilient base for future banking technology, while supporting sustainable growth and client-focused innovation.

This story draws on original reporting from Finextra Research.