TL;DR
- ▸cloudSwXtch is a high-performance virtual switching layer for cloud and hybrid environments.
- ▸The integration with TimeBeat brings PTP-grade timing into the cloudSwXtch fabric, extending precision time from on-premises infrastructure into cloud workloads without compromising the synchronisation budget at the boundary.
- ▸Right pattern for hybrid deployments where some workloads run on-premises and some run in the cloud, and the timing fabric needs to span both coherently.
What the integration delivers
cloudSwXtch is a high-performance virtual switching layer for cloud and hybrid environments that provides software-defined networking functionality across on-premises and cloud workloads. The integration with TimeBeat brings PTP-grade timing into the cloudSwXtch fabric, allowing customers to extend precision time from on-premises infrastructure into cloud workloads without compromising the synchronisation budget at the boundary between the two environments.
Architecturally, the on-premises TimeBeat hardware grandmaster acts as the precision time source for the broader hybrid fabric. cloudSwXtch carries PTP messages from the on-premises grandmaster to cloud workloads through its virtual switching layer, preserving the precision the underlying network can deliver. From the cloud workload's perspective, it sees a normal PTP grandmaster on the network and locks to it normally — the hybrid boundary is invisible.
Where it fits
Hybrid cloud deployments where some workloads run on-premises and some run in the cloud, and where the timing fabric needs to span both environments coherently. Common use cases include broadcast media production with on-premises capture infrastructure and cloud-based post-production, financial venues with on-premises trading infrastructure and cloud-based analytics, and AI training workloads with on-premises bare-metal training clusters and cloud-based data preparation. In each case, the precision-critical work happens on-premises and the rest happens in the cloud, with the timing fabric extending across the boundary so that timestamps are consistent end to end.
Why this matters for hybrid
Without precision time spanning the hybrid boundary, customers have to maintain two separate timing models — one for on-premises and one for cloud — and reconcile them at the application layer. This is operationally painful and fragile. The cloudSwXtch + TimeBeat integration eliminates the dual-model problem.
Where TimeBeat fits
TimeBeat hardware is the precision time source for the on-premises side of these hybrid deployments. cloudSwXtch handles the cross-boundary distribution. The combination is the right answer for customers running serious precision-time workloads in hybrid architectures, and it's a partnership we expect to deepen as the hybrid pattern becomes more common.
Frequently asked questions
What is cloudSwXtch?+
Why do hybrid deployments need precision time?+
How does PTP work across the hybrid boundary?+
Related reading
Blog · Cloud
Microsoft Azure: The Most Accurate Cloud for Clock Sync (For Now)
Microsoft Azure publishes the tightest clock synchronisation guarantees of any major public cloud, with documented PTP support across selected VM types. What Azure delivers, where the limits are, and how it compares to AWS and GCP.
Blog · Cloud
Simple Steps to Achieve Single-Digit Microsecond Cloud Sync
Achieving single-digit microsecond clock synchronisation in public cloud environments is harder than on bare metal but not impossible. The practical steps that work in 2026.