“Cloud computing is as big a transformation as we have ever seen and, together with our partners, Microsoft will help customers through the shift,” said Satya Nadella, president of the Server and Tools Business at Microsoft. “By betting on Microsoft’s comprehensive approach to cloud computing, partners can embrace this transformation and build strong and vibrant practices that will advance how business gets done.”
Nadella highlighted how U.S. partner Brand Journey Venturing used Windows Azure to quickly deliver a new sales outlet for General Mills Inc, http://www.glutenfreely.com. In addition, he announced that partners can now sell their applications through the Windows Azure Marketplace to reach more customers and help grow revenues. This capability builds on the extensive set of partner data offerings already available for sale through the Windows Azure Marketplace. Underscoring these opportunities, a recently Microsoft-commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting found that software partners deploying solutions on Windows Azure are generating 20 percent to 250 percent in new revenue by reaching entirely new customers.1 Microsoft also noted progress made by eBay Inc., Fujitsu and HP in deploying the Windows Azure platform appliance to deliver turnkey cloud services in their datacenters.
Acknowledging the continued need for on-premises deployments, Nadella outlined how partners can use Microsoft’s private cloud solution built on Windows Server, Microsoft Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center to help customers transition to cloud, on their terms. Next week Microsoft will release a new beta of System Center 2012, which helps customers build private clouds and manage applications across both private and public cloud systems. Microsoft also provided an early look at the next version of Windows Server, code-named “Windows Server 8,” which will be the next step in private cloud computing.
Noting the ever-increasing importance of data in both public and private cloud computing, Nadella announced the availability of a community technology preview of the new Microsoft SQL Server, currently SQL Server codename “Denali.” For the first time, customers can begin testing the much-anticipated features of “Denali,” including Project “Crescent” for visual data exploration and SQL Server Developer Tools codename “Juneau,” for a modern development experience across server, business intelligence and cloud development projects.
More information about Windows Azure, Windows Server, System Center and SQL Server is available at http://blogs.technet.com/b/stbnewsbytes.
