Microsoft and HP team up to offer cloud services

Microsoft and HP have launched a four-year project that will see them collaborate to deliver Microsoft applications via the cloud.

HP will help deliver Microsoft's communications and collaboration applications through a private and a hybrid cloud offering.

Through the private cloud, HP will offer Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 and Microsoft Lync Server 2010, from its datacentres around the world.

HP will resell Microsoft Office 365 with its own Enterprise Cloud Services to provide a hybrid offering.

Microsoft will continue to sell Office 365 via the public cloud.

Microsoft Office 365 comprises Microsoft Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Lync Online services, plus a choice of other minor features. It launched in June this year.

The product will be available in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US next month and will launch globally in the longer term.

Brandt Faatz, vice president, Workplace Services, HP Enterprise Services said the company would be targeting large organisations, particularly those in regulated industries like financial services and public sector.

Mark Hill, vice president, Enterprise Partner Group, at Microsoft explained that the deal increases his firm's reach, and broadens the offering available to customers.

"This alliance with HP not only broadens Microsoft's geographic reach, it gives customers maximum flexibility to choose a cloud computing solution that meets their organisation's specialised messaging and collaboration needs."

This deal is the latest in a series of collaborative initiatives between the two companies. Last year, HP announced that £160m and 11,000 employees would be assigned to strengthening the partnership.