Sunday, July 11, 2010

HP to Offer a Microsoft Windows Azure Cloud Appliance

HP and Microsoft are collaborating on a Microsoft Windows Azure platform appliance that will enable large enterprise customers to adopt cloud-based applications. The companies will work together to deliver a complete hardware, software, services and sourcing solution. Customers will be able to manage the appliance with HP Converged Infrastructure on-premises or choose HP data center hosting services.


The companies said this latest collaboration extends the $250 million Infrastructure-to-Application initiatives announced in January and will result in HP delivering:

  • Data center hosting services -- HP Enterprise Services will combine deep systems management expertise, standardized processes and world-class secure data centers to manage the Windows Azure platform appliances for HP customers. HP and Microsoft plan to release a limited production Windows Azure platform appliance for deployment in HP data centers by the end of the year.


  • Converged Infrastructure for Windows Azure -- HP's current position as a primary infrastructure provider for the Windows Azure platform, coupled with HP and Microsoft's ongoing efforts to optimize Microsoft applications for HP's Converged Infrastructure through extensive joint engineering and development, will allow HP to deliver an industry-leading cloud deployment experience for its customers.


  • Application modernization, migration and integration services for Windows applications -- HP's expertise in complex environments, specific industries, frameworks, processes and resources will help customers modernize, migrate and integrate their applications while balancing costs and speed when adopting the Windows Azure platform.


"Microsoft and HP will align engineering, sales and professional services to provide enterprise customers a full-range of cloud services and technologies where they want it and how they want it," said Bob Muglia, president of Server and Tools Business, Microsoft Corp.
http://www.hp.com
http://www.microsoft.com