Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) has expanded its partnership with Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) with the launch of a new platform that will enable cloud service providers to deploy hybrid cloud more quickly.
The networking giant said that cloud providers are challenged with managing the complexity and cost of integrating the infrastructure and application layers required to bring new cloud services to market. In response to this, the firms launched the Cisco Cloud Architecture for the Microsoft Cloud Platform.
The integrated solution combines Windows Azure Pack and Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI) to help cloud providers rapidly deliver hybrid cloud services while drastically simplifying operations and reducing costs.
Additionally, 14 cloud providers today announced they plan to join Cisco’s Intercloud partner ecosystem, bringing the number of Intercloud providers to more than 60 with a footprint of more than 350 datacentres across 50 countries.
The Cisco Cloud Architecture for the Microsoft Cloud Platform will allow cloud providers to “evolve” beyond traditional infrastructure as a service (IaaS) offerings, to create combined IaaS, platform as a service (PaaS) and software as a service (SaaS) solutions that “deliver more value to their customers”, according to Cisco.
The combined Microsoft and Cisco technologies brings together the Windows Azure Pack and Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI), allowing channel partners to offer network services, disaster recovery, big data analytics and enterprise application services at “DevOps speed”.
“We want our service provider partners to move up-market with us and offer higher-end cloud services,” says Nick Earle, senior VP of Cloud and Managed Services at Cisco. “By partnering with Microsoft we’re able to deliver a tightly integrated, application centric cloud architecture. This unique new platform will help our partners dramatically accelerate the delivery of new and innovative hybrid cloud services for their customers.”
“Cisco and Microsoft already have a strong relationship in the cloud and data center markets,” says Aziz Benmalek, general manager of hoisting service providers at Microsoft. “Today, we’re expanding that collaboration with a solution that will allow our mutual partners to deliver services quickly and grow revenue faster with a cloud-enabled platform.”
