Summary: Picking apart Microsoft's latest financials shows you can't split the company neatly between home and business any more, thanks to the cloud.

 

By NICK WINGFIELD

>

As president of Microsoft’s server and tools division, a $19 billion-a-year business devoted to databases, servers and other software products, Satya Nadella has a predictable cast of competitors to worry about. There is Oracle, VMware, SAP and a bunch of other makers of highly technical products that make everyday services like banking and airline reservations work, even if the software running them is invisible to most consumers.

But one of Mr. Nadella’s competitors – Amazon – is not like the others.

The Internet retailer is beloved by consumers for its seemingly infinite online selection of merchandise available for one-click purchasing, speedy delivery and Kindle e-readers. Out of view of most of the public, though, it has transformed itself into a huge player in the field of cloud computing. By renting capacity on the industrial-strength servers and beefy Internet connections in its data centers to anyone willing to pay for it, Amazon has become the virtual landlord of choice for technology start-ups, including the likes of Instagram and Foursquare.

Microsoft wants a piece of the action. On Tuesday, the company is opening to general availability a new service that competes directly with Amazon’s cloud offering. (Microsoft has been testing the service with customers for the past year.) And to make sure it’s taken seriously, Microsoft is committing to match Amazon’s prices for its cloud service, which is known as the Elastic Compute Cloud.

 

Opportunities in the Cloud Start Today!

Get The Tools You Need to Build a Thriving Cloud Practice

 

Microsoft has been providing their Ready-to-Go Marketing services for Partners for years, and it has gotten a bit more thorough since I last checked it out.  If you haven't done so already, it's worth a peek:

https://readytogo.microsoft.com/en-us/Pages/Home.aspx 

Here's a summary of what you can get to help support your Sales and Marketing Efforts:

Content Finder - This is a nifty resource for finding marketing content specifically by Product Area, Target Market, Solution Area, or Vertical.  You can filter by any of these criteria and find: Sales Tools Event Resources Partner Readiness Information Marketing Templates Digital Marketing Material Web Syndication Services Competitive Resources And Marketing Graphics ...

By Jack Clark for Cloud Watch

Summary: Three companies each have their own method of linking an organisation’s datacentre with public clouds, but each one holds risks and benefits for the customer that must be considered. 

With Microsoft's new version of Windows Server, the company has committed to a proprietary model of computing where the Redmond software giant makes sure all roads lead to Azure, its own cloud offering.

Microsoft's update is just one of the moves underway as tech companies look to consolidate their positions in the vitally important cloud computing space. Three of the largest players, Microsoft, VMware and Amazon, are trying to strengthen their positions using very different strategies that will force big - and hard-to-reverse - decisions on the organisations that adopt their technologies, and raise issues about vendor lock-in and standards.

Better the devil you know

Microsoft's tactic is simple - most enterprises use its desktop operating system and a large amount use its server management software as well. (In the second quarter of 2012, just under half [47.9 percent] of all the revenue generated from worldwide server shipping came from Windows Server boxes, according to IDC.)

However, much of these workloads could easily move to the private cloud, where Microsoft is in competition with companies like VMware, or to the public cloud, where fewer companies use Microsoft's Windows Azure compared to Amazon Web Services's suite of technologies.

Microsoft's solution, along with tweaking its Windows Azure public cloud, is to have more of the characteristics of Amazon's, and to update Windows Server to be its 'cloud OS'. It has attempted to do this by increasing the capabilities of its Hyper-V hypervisor to add better replication and software-defined networking features, along with usability tweaks to bring the user interface in line with the clean, modern interface used in Azure. 

 

Drive new revenue when you develop or sell cloud solutions based on innovative Microsoft technologies. Start by enrolling in the Microsoft Cloud Essentials Pack, and then qualify for the advanced Microsoft Cloud Accelerate Program to earn additional benefits.

The Microsoft Cloud Essentials Pack Software Benefits
Microsoft Technology	License Grant
Microsoft Office 365	250 licenses   Register for Practice Accelerator for Microsoft Office 365at no cost   Note: If you intend to sell Office 365 you will need to sign the Microsoft Online Services Partner Agreement (MOSPA) and complete the required assessments in order to access your partner sales features benefit. Learn about MOSPA.
Windows Intune	Subscription for 25 PCs
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online	250 licenses   Note: If you intend to sell Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, you must meet all the requirements of the CRM Software Advisor Program in order to be able to receive CRM Online advisor fees. Learn more.
Windows Azure platform	375 hours of small compute instance, 20 gigabytes of storage, and 250,000 storage transactions Microsoft SQL Azure Web Edition database: 1 gigabyte 100,000 access control transactions (provided at no charge for billing periods prior to 11/30/2012) Service bus connections (free until 3/31/2012) and 128 MB cache Data transfer: unlimited in and 25 gigabytes out
Marketing Benefits
Listing as Cloud Essentials partner on the Microsoft Pinpoint online marketplace
Listing in the Microsoft Office 365 Marketplace
Marketing resources
Business Benefits
Online sales and financial modeling tools	Demo Showcase Profitability Modeler
Presales and technical support	Online Technical Communities for cloud services
Requirements
For Partners Who Sell and Service	For Partners Who Build and Develop
Enroll in the Microsoft Partner Network. Sign the Microsoft Online Services Partner Agreement (MOSPA) and complete introductory training and an assessment. Learn about MOSPA. To continue receiving these benefits in your second year of enrollment, you must meet a modest sales requirement of 50 seats per product during your first year of enrollment.	Enroll in the Microsoft Partner Network. Sign up on Microsoft Platform Ready and register your application. To continue receiving these benefits in your second year of enrollment, you must meet a modest sales requirement of 50 seats per product during your first year of enrollment.
Annual Fee
There is no fee for this program.

 

From Business Insideer

As earlier predicted, cloud storage options are becoming increasingly popular, offering users the ability to access files and documents regardless of where they are in the world or what device they have in their hand. And with so many different services now available, I thought I’d share some of the most popular to help users and business owners decide which may be the best match for them. 

By Aviv Siegel, AtHoc, Inc.

Campuses, government agencies, military and enterprises are facing increased threats from terror, accidents and weather. Legacy fire systems are inadequate and incapable of handling the wide-spectrum of threats. The advent of new communication technologies enabled by Internet Protocol (IP) infrastructure presents excellent opportunity to address the challenge.

Protecting, informing and accounting for people quickly and effectively during emergencies is the problem addressed by AtHoc Emergency Mass Notification System (EMNS).  AtHoc IWSAlerts™ network-centric mass notification currently represents the state-of-the-art in emergency alerting technology. It leverages the ubiquitous IP network and transforms an organization’s existing IP network and its connected devices into a rapid and pervasive emergency notification system. A net-centric unified notification system can reach people through multiple redundant channels in minutes—with detailed information for a safe course of action. Additionally, emergency managers can provide detailed instructions for action to all personnel and receive feedback to ensure a safe response--a capability absent on traditional passive alerting systems.

 

 

Microsoft-centric solution provides .NET developers with advanced cloud computing solution and SDK for more profitable and rapid ecommerce deployments

 

Minneapolis, MN., June 29, 2011—Insite Software, a leading provider of B2B and B2C ecommerce platforms and shipping solutions, today announced that Microsoft Corporation has certified InsiteCommerce as one of the first enterprise B2B ecommerce platform powered by Windows Azure for cloud computing. The latest version of InsiteCommerce provides the Microsoft .NET development community and design agencies with advanced cloud deployment and an easy-to-use SDK allowing firms to rapidly develop and deliver scalable, high performing, B2B ecommerce projects for their manufacturing, distribution and retail clients.

 “.NET developers have been looking for a reliable, scalable, ecommerce platform that delivers the B2B capabilities in the cloud, as Microsoft Commerce Server does not currently support the Windows Azure platform,” said Brian Strojny, CEO of Insite Software. “InsiteCommerce is designed for cloud computing and leverages the benefits of Windows Azure to help developers provide faster, scalable and more profitable B2B ecommerce deployments. We are pleased to be one of the first enterprise B2B ecommerce platforms certified by Microsoft and look forward to working more closely with the .NET development community.”

 

Well-respected SMB Nation community announces 6th Annual Spring Conference

   

By Anya Ciecierski, PartnerPoint Contributing Writer

That headline may have you confused. We aren't generally bashful in singing the justly-deserved praises of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, yet here we are advising Microsoft Partners against purchasing that very software. Why is that? Because Microsoft Partners can get Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for free. That’s right. Free!

Microsoft recently revealed the details for an exciting program that makes the life of a Microsoft Partner even sweeter. All Microsoft Gold Certified partners can claim up to 250 seats of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for free, while Silver Certified partners can claim up to 100 seats. On top of that, further seats can be purchased for the discount rate of $19 per user per month. This offer can't be combined with any other competencies, but who can complain after a freebie like that? Microsoft Cloud Essentials Pack or Microsoft Cloud Accelerate Partners are also in on the deal, getting the same offer as Gold Certified partners: 250 free seats with more following at $19 per user per month.

Background

Stonetree Network Solutions specializes in bringing the "Fortune 100" technology experience to small and medium-sized businesses in the Denver, Colorado area. Innovative offerings include their popular STONEMail service for spam-free, virus-free, HIPAA/PCI/SOX-compliant secure email – all without the overhead expense of an in-house email solution. Clients can access their email the same way they would with a traditional email server without the worry of server configuration, backup, retention, archives, or upgrades.

Other Stonetree services include outsourced IT, disaster recovery, electronic backup, hosted email solution, project implementations, wireless installation and support, and virus scans and malware protection for a client base as diverse as medical offices, engineering firms, property managers, nonprofit organizations and more.

'Blended' Business Model

In order to make good on the kind of quality services they were committed to delivering, Stonetree owners Dan and Andrea Mullen chose to partner with technology providers who Dan Mullen calls "the best of the best." Their business relies on a combination of smart technologies that include the Microsoft Exchange 2010 and Microsoft Server 2008 R2 platform, HP ProLiant Servers, VMWare, and WatchGuard network security solutions.

Mullen does not refer to his company as a managed services provider (MSP). "We offer 'blended services.' By that I mean a combination of some of the services an MSP would provide, but with the personal on-site touch that lets the clients actually know who we are. We become an integral part of their team, and it doesn't cost them any more for the personal service. We charge a flat rate with no additional fees for after-hours or emergency support."

 

By Robert Peretson, PartnerPoint Contributing Writer

If you're a managed service provider, you know that every potential new client can possibly represent a significant boost to your revenue. And you know that it's challenging enough to just get your foot in the door. Once you do and you're face-to-face with your prospective new customer, how can you give yourself the edge you need to close the deal?

There are several things that you must do if you want to have any chance at landing the client. Ask questions… listen more than talk… develop a rapport… be honest.

But one of the most effective things you can do to turn your prospect into a paying client is to provide a compelling demonstration.

The late Billy Mays was one of the most successful and recognized sales pitchmen in recent history. There was a television program called "Pitchmen" a few years ago that followed the process that Billy and his partner Anthony Sullivan followed when choosing products to sell. In one of the episodes, Billy said very clearly, "The very first thing I need to see in a product is - "Is it Highly Demonstrable? When I show you the product in action, do you instantly know what it does… what the benefit is?"

Did you ever hear the slogan "Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking"? Back in the 1950's a small, young watch company used that slogan in a marketing campaign where in their commercials they "tortured" their watches with jackhammers, paint mixers and strapped them to the propeller of an outboard boat motor. These compelling demonstrations showing the abuse these watches were able to endure were the reason that in just a few short years, one of every three watches sold in the U.S. was a Timex… and why over half a century later, we still instantly know who the slogan belongs to.

 

By Tim Ferguson, 27 December 2010 14:26

ANALYSIS - As we prepare to say goodbye to 2010, silicon.com takes a look back at the biggest software stories of the year.

Cloud computing dominated the headlines in 2010 with Microsoft, SAP and even the UK government investing in the technology.

Microsoft's cloud efforts focused on its Windows Azure cloud computing platform, which the company began charging for in February. In June silicon.com caught up with Microsoft president of server and tools Bob Muglia for an update on how take-up and development of the platform is going, in: Windows Azure: Inside Microsoft's cloud computing strategy.

Microsoft's cloud line-up expanded further in October, as the company announced a cloud version of its Office productivity suite, known as Office 365. Initially available as a beta, the full version of Office 365 will be launched in 2011: Office 365: Microsoft puts its Office suite in the cloud.

SAP was another software giant adopting the cloud. After a lengthy development programme, it launched its long-awaited on-demand ERP system Business ByDesign to all customers in the summer. The release was explored in Cheat Sheet: SAP Business ByDesign.

by Mary Jo Foley

There were a lot of promised deliverables on the Azure cloud roadmap that Microsoft unveiled at its Professional Developers Conference (PDC)in October 2010. This week, the Redmondians rolled out more of them, including a public beta of the Windows Azure Virtual Machine Role.

...

 By - Charles Arthur

 Putting data in to the 'cloud' suits companies but does not evade political pressures

WikiLeaks showed last week that the premise behind cloud computing began looking a bit creaky. Photograph: Jens B Ttner/ Jens B ttner/dpa/Corbis

Until last week, any computing futurologist would tell you that cloud computing is where it's at. You don't need to know where your data is being stored; it's just on a computer, or more likely computers, Out There On The Internet. Thus Amazon, with its EC2 ("Elastic Cloud Compute") service, or Microsoft with its Azure service, or the most familiar example, Google, with its GoogleMail and Google Docs services, which are used by thousand of companies around the world. (Disclosure: the Guardian uses Google Docs and Mail, and Amazon's EC2 system for its API.)

Indeed, the prestigious Pew Research Center said in June that "solid majority of technology experts and stakeholders participating in the fourth future of the internet survey expect that by 2020 most people will access software applications online and share and access information through the use of remote server networks, rather than depending primarily on tools and information housed on their individual, personal computers" and that "most users will perform most computing and communicating activities through connections to servers operated by outside firms".

We already do, to a large extent: Google's search index lives in the cloud; lastminute.com, TripAdvisor, toptable.com, they're all a "cloud" service. What has been changing in the past few years is that individuals and companies have been able to upload their own content onto those computers – hence the explosion in size of Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and Twitter, none of which generate their own content. It all lives in the cloud, where one organisation offers the servers and another offers the software that interfaces to the content.

In Q&A, Microsoft's Tom Rizzo says Google doesn't understand business needs

 By Saad Fazil

Microsoft is on a roll: Its newly launched Windows Phone 7 isgaining momentum, and Kinect, its motion controller response to the Wii, is rumored to have sold out (although whether that rumor is true is another matter). If there was ever a time for Microsoft to get back on its feet and stand shoulder to shoulder with Apple and Google, this would be it.

This positive buzz comes at a time when Microsoft sorely needs it. Microsoft’s major source of power and revenue –  the Windows operating system –  is under an unprecedented threat on several fronts. First, as mobile phones become smarter, the Windows franchise will lose its dominance unless Microsoft can find a way to compete with Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android. Second, as operating systems find their way into other connected devices such as Internet TV, Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS are getting all the buzz. Third, as the Internet becomes speedier and demand for cloud-based storage increases, web apps will become even more popular, making the Windows operating system even less relevant.

So what’s Microsoft doing to regain footing on these three fronts?

Mobile
Despite arriving late to the party, Windows Phone 7 has received strong reviews so far, and while there are a few glaring omissions (such as the missing copy/paste function), on the whole it is a great leap forward from the antiquated Windows Mobile platform.

It’s too early to tell whether Windows Phone 7 can catch up in a market dominated by iOS and Android, but it has some clear advantages. Tighter integration with Microsoft Office, still the most dominant productivity suite, is one of them. Gaming is another.

By: Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine

Google wants you to stop using Microsoft Office and move to its completely Web-based Docs service, and with each passing week the service gets richer and better performing. But just in case you're too devoted to the installed productivity suite leader, there's a next-best choice: Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office, formerly DocVerse.

Google Cloud Connect is basically an Office plug-in that syncs documents with your cloud-based Google Docs account; it was made available to Google "trusted testers" on Monday. The Google Docs blog post making the announcement has been updated to note that available slots for prospective testers filled up within a few hours of the announcement. PCMag got early access to the software for a look.

Though the Connect plug-in won't give Office users all of the live collaboration features available in the Web version of Docs, it will offer a Sync button that will back up the document being worked on, make it available from anywhere via Google Docs, and assign it a unique URL. The toolbar also offers a Share button that sends this URL or gives rights to the document to Google contacts.

By Kenneth Corbin, Internetnews.com

McLEAN, Va. -- In perhaps its most dramatic move yet toward reshaping the federal IT apparatus, the Obama administration on Friday announced a multipronged strategy to improve efficiencies and eliminate waste from the government's sprawling technology operations, including a mandate for all agencies to embrace cloud computing.

Speaking here at an event hosted by the Northern Virginia Technology Council,...

Microsoft Office 365 is coming….. as we have shouted almost daily lately.  For those of you who are curious, but have tons of questions, our good friends at Microsoft have provided a ton of resources.  One that is concise and to the point is the new Microsoft Office Transition Center. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Office 365?
A: Microsoft Office 365 delivers the power of cloud productivity to businesses of all sizes, helping to save time, money and free up valued resources. Office 365 combines the familiar Office desktop suite with online versions of Microsoft’s next generation communications and collaboration services: Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Lync Online. With Office 365 we provide services that are easy to administer and simple to use – always backed up by robust security, reliability and control to run your business.

Q: When will Office 365 be available to customers?
A: Office 365 will be available for purchase in 2011. Please note that existing customers must be transitioned to Office 365 before it is available to them. Transition to Office 365 will be available to existing BPOS customers soon after availability of Office 365. Microsoft will work with all existing BPOS customers to determine the best time for the customer’s business to make the transition.

Q: What services and tools are included in Office 365?
A: Office 365 includes: Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Lync Online and the latest version of Microsoft Office Professional Plus desktop suite.

 

Cloud computing is to business what the pocket calculator was to education back in the 1980s.  I’ve already  told you how I was addicted to the Cloud , and your now probably hearing about it daily.  So why should you be interested in this new buzz word.  Well, there are a couple reasons your ears should perk up when you here news about The Cloud, especially when it involves the Microsoft products your company has become dependent upon over the years like Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SharePoint, or Microsoft Dynamics.

1. Cost – costs usually include little to no up-front costs, and monthly per user costs moving forward.  This allows you to convert capital expenditure to operational expenditure which can lower the barrier to entry into new products and services.
2. Freedom – your team can more easily access systems remotely and from multiple devices such as Mobile devices
3. Reliability – cloud computing is ideal for business continuity and disaster recovery.
4. Scalability – you get “on-demand” provisioning of resources on a self-serve basis in realtime.
5. Maintenance - cloud computing application maintenance is done for you by the host, and changes and updates apply to all users independent of location.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TabWare Express is a Best-in-Class Asset Management Solution in a SaaS Model at an Affordable Monthly Fee, Making It Ideal for Small and Medium Size Companies Whose Success Depends on the Performance of Their Assets.

Greenville, SC – November 11, 2010 – AssetPoint (www.assetpoint.com), a leading Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution provider, announced TabWare Express, a secure web-based Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solution offered on a per-user, monthly fee basis that ensures maximum equipment uptime  and control of maintenance costs for small and medium size companies. TabWare Express is designed by maintenance professionals for maintenance professionals, and is easy to learn, easy to use, and easy to own.

TabWare Express is offered in 3 modules that can be used separately or combined together depending on your business needs:

·         Work Orders including Preventive Maintenance

·         Spare Parts Inventory

·         Purchasing...

 

Microsoft acquires AVIcode to become its secret weapon in cloud application performance monitoring.

 

 

PITTSBURGH, Sept. 27, 2010

HP, Intel Corporation and Yahoo! Inc. today announced that four new organizations will join Open Cirrus™, a global, multiple data center, open source test bed for the advancement of cloud computing research. 

The announcement coincides with the fourth Open Cirrus Summit, hosted by Carnegie Melon University and Intel Labs Pittsburgh in cooperation with HP and Yahoo!.

China Mobile Research Institute (CMRI), the Supercomputing Center of Galicia  (CESGA), China Telecom Corporation and Georgia Tech University’s Center for Experimental Research in Computer Systems (CERCS) have...

 

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - September 16, 2010) -  RoseASP, one of Southern California's largest providers of hosted Microsoft Dynamics solutions, today announced commercial availability of myGPcloud™, a Microsoft Dynamics enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution which is now available to colleges and universities as part of their academic program.

The myGPcloud service allows professors to set up a new Microsoft Dynamics GP system in less than 10 minutes, allowing their students to have access to sample company data, a live instructor's company, and individual student companies for a rich educational experience. Two offerings have been designed specifically for colleges and universities including a professor only install and a professor and student install. The professor and student option allows students to access their accounting system on any workstation with internet connectivity at any time of day.

"MyGPcloud will be very valuable for our Dynamics Academic Alliance," said Don Morton, Microsoft Academic Alliance Site Leader. "The biggest hurdle for some universities wanting to utilize Dynamics GP is the time and effort to install and configure the system. MyGPcloud overcomes all of those issues and lets professors focus on their curriculum instead of Dynamics technical support."

"We feel this is a 'must have' in teaching accounting today," said Linda Rose, president of RoseASP. "To understand how a computerized integrated ERP system works is key for their success as accountants, controllers, and auditors of the future. And students can literally be in the dorm room at 3 a.m. working on their accounting system homework, because they will be able to access it from their own personal computers." 

So, have I mentioned how hooked I am on the Cloud?  Ok, I guess I have.  But since were on the topic, another thing I love about Cloud Offerings is the ease of Trials.  Since there is no software/server installation and minimal setup, providing low cost (or free) trials is possible for software vendors.  Also, since they control the hosting, they can easily control access to the software post-test without the worries of licensing compliance you may have with on-premise software tests.

A current and exciting example of this is Microsoft’s new Free Trial of their Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online product.  You can be setup in minutes, and take a free 30 day test ride of this new offering. 

VMware on Tuesday stumped for its IT as a service vision, which revolves around virtualization, efficiency and automation. This IT vision also includes a hefty dose of hybrid data centers as cloud computing and traditional infrastructure, or so-called private clouds, meld together.

Acquires VMlogix while also embracing open approach to virtual switches
Citrix today extended the Citrix OpenCloud platform with the acquisition of VMLogix as part of a plan to add self-service capabilities on top of the Citrix cloud computing management platform.

For a quarter of a century, the relational database (RDBMS) has been the dominant model for database management. But, today, non-relational, “cloud,” or “NoSQL” databases are gaining mindshare as an alternative model for database management. In this article, we’ll look at the 10 key aspects of these non-relational NoSQL databases: the top five advantages and the top five challenges.

It's no secret that Google has been making a play for SMB market share, a territory long under Microsoft's control. It's a logical goal to pursue as business  computing continues to evolve from the local machine to cloud computing—Google's wheelhouse. But can Google succeed at taking customers from business software incumbent Microsoft, even while fending off newer cloud-based competitors?

Red Hat announced a strategy for its cloud stack, now called Cloud Foundations Edition One.

It’s about portability and interoperability. In other words it’s about standards. In line with that, Red Hat has submitted its cloud platform as a potential standard for interoperability.

By Kevin McLaughlin, Steven Burke, CRN

Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) Monday took the wraps off Cloud Champions Club, a new cloud-computing-oriented channel program that's designed to help partners follow Microsoft as it stampedes into cloud computing.

With the new three-tier program, unveiled at Xchange Americas 2010 in Dallas, Microsoft is essentially chipping away at the psychological barrier of up-front costs that has kept many VARs on the sidelines of the cloud revolution.

"We want to make it easier for VARs to sustain the up-front cost associated with the move to the cloud," said Eric Martorano, Microsoft's head of U.S. SMB Channel & Online Services, in an interview with CRN. "We're trying to give partners that have really made a commitment to cloud with resources, funding and training to make them successful."

The first Cloud Champions Club tier sets the bar at three customerwins and 75 seats. Once partners meet this requirement, they'll receive online training, market development funds (MDFs) and access to a Microsoft cloud services sales team whose charter is to help partners transition to the cloud.

Partners reach the second Cloud Champions Club tier with eight customer wins and 200 seats. This gives them an additional 25 percent in MDFs as well as access to TS2, a Microsoft field technical services team that offers assistance to help VARs move their customers to the cloud. 

Many corporate customers still do not grasp the key benefits of cloud computing, one top analyst says.

In a research note posted today, Gartner distinguished analyst John Pescatore said many corporate customers he’s talked to recently who are evaluating cloud computing for the first time are not interested in “true” cloud benefits.

I saw a fascinating interview on Forbes.com last week that implies the death of IT as we know it. In it, Michael Chui, senior fellow at the McKinsey Global Institute, described a trend that his firm views as the way IT will be done in the future.

Today, Rackspace announced the release of Windows based Cloud Servers to compete with Amazon EC2 Windows instances and Windows Azure. According to Rackspace, the new service delivers a highly scalable environment ideal for Windows-based hosting, testing and developing applications and supporting the high levels of traffic required for launching online gaming platforms or the next social networking phenomenon. This was expected for a long time because they needed to have Windows based offerings in order to effectively compete with Amazon.

Barring any last minute changes, a Microsoft vendor is poised to win the e-mail hosting contract for the state of California. And Google, which has cried foul over the state’s wording for bids for the contract, is left standing on the sidelines as a big client slips away.

Central Desktop, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) collaboration platform provider, today announced the availability of its new cloud-based Microsoft Office collaboration tool, Central Desktop for Office. This new product delivers seamless, real-time integration between Microsoft Office and the cloud to radically improve the way people collaborate on Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents.

Once installed, Central Desktop for Office adds a new toolbar in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint that allows users to interact with files stored online without ever having to open a web browser. Using this toolbar, users can simultaneously co-author Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents in real-time, as well as open and save files directly into the cloud. Central Desktop for Office is powered by OffiSync technology and is compatible with Microsoft Office 2003, 2007 and 2010.

At our annual Financial Analyst's Meeting (FAM) we announced that The Dow Chemical Co., Hyatt Hotels Corporation and the University of Georgia have each selected Microsoft cloud solutions.

A startup, who wishes to remain anonymous, is delivering an innovative new business service from an IaaS cloud and most of the time pays next to nothing to do this. This isn't a story about pennies per virtual server per hour - sure they take advantage of that- but more a nuance of cloud optimization any enterprise can follow: reverse capacity planning.

Most of us are familiar with the black art of capacity planning. You take an application, simulate load against it, trying to approximate the amount of traffic it will face in production, then provision the resources to accommodate this load. With web applications we tend to capacity plan against expected peak, which is very hard to estimate - even if historical data exists. You capacity plan to peak because you don't want to be overloaded and cause the client to wait, error out, or go to your competition for your service.

Posted by Brier Dudley

Steve Ballmer's trying to set the record straight on Microsoft's maligned consumer businesses.

"We're pretty focused in a set of areas we think have big potential," the Microsoft chief executive said to 180 or so financial analysts meeting in Redmond today.

During his presentation, it was disclosed that Microsoft's expecting Windows 7 tablets to spread in early 2011 after new Intel hardware emerges.

The company's also preparing to offer a "personal cloud" to Windows 7 users, including a set of online services for managing and synchronizing files that will come with Windows 7 PCs starting in the third quarter.

The personal clouds include Windows Live services such as the SkyDrive online storage system and online Office applications, with the addition of new sync features for synchronizing and sharing content across various devices.

During a demonstration on a prototype Windows slate computer, an upcoming version of Messenger was used for a video chat by Brad Brooks, vice president of Windows marketing . During a chat session, a user can call up files such as photos from their devices or cloud storage site and share them with the other person.

Another demo featured an application for moving media content across various networked devices. On the top of the screen was a menu of connected devices for outputting the content, including a networked stereo receiver, an Xbox and a TV adapter. Songs and videos could be pulled from a personal cloud to the devices by tapping and dragging the file onto the menu.

The personal clouds extend the "personal hub" concept that debuted on Microsoft's short-lived Kin phones, which automatically synchronize photos and messages with a companion personal Web site. These hubs will be a key feature of phones running the upcoming Windows Phone 7 software. (Here's one of Ballmer's slides from the presentation)

A Windows Phone 7 demo showed how the device draws on both work and personal calendars stored online, displaying both on its calendar. It showed a conflict - a meeting during a Sounders game, so the device was used to adjust the meeting, map travel to the game and find and choose a Chinese restaurant for the post-game celebration. In true Microsoft style, a shopping list for a pre-game party was managed on OneNote and the to-do list was shared with other participants via SharePoint.

By Ina Fried - REDMOND, Wash.--Aiming to show it is still winning customers against Google, Microsoft on Thursday announced deals to provide hosted e-mail and portal software to three big corporate customers.

By Fool TV July 19, 2010

In poker, when you say you're going all in, it means one of two things: Confidence you have the best hand, or a bluff that feigns that same strength. Last week, Fool.com analyst Eric Bleeker attended Microsoft's Worldwide Developers Conference and said the company picked no-bones about their cloud computing ambitions: They're all in, but can they deliver the goods?

By Mary Jo Foley | July 16, 2010, 3:01pm PDT

At this week’s Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft officials shared with attendees their “official” roadmap for updating the company’s hosted Business Productivity Online (BPOS) suite. Company officials shared which features and capabilities that the company rolled out already as part of the on-premises server complements of the BPOS products will be added to the Microsoft-hosted versions of those offerings.

I’ve run a few slides on this blog over the past couple of months, dating back to November 2009, that included much of this same information. But it wasn’t until this week that Microsoft officials acknowledged these details.

I’ve heard that customers of the Dedicated (i.e., non-shared/non-multitenant) versions of Microsoft’s BPOS and its point-product parts — Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Communications Online and Live Meeting — already have some of the 2010 feature updates. But those using the “Standard” (multitenant) versions do not.

Microsoft didn’t provide specific dates as to when they’d deliver the updates to each of its managed services, but did say the updates would happen in fiscal 2011 (which runs from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2011). Earlier this year, the Softies said to watch for a “preview” of these BPOS updates before the end of this calendar year, and advised companies to prepare their infrastructure now for these BPOS futures.

The roadmap slides the Softies showed at the partner conference this week look just about identical to the ones I ran earlier. In November 2009, Microsoft shared privately information about the coming 2010 features for Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and Communications Online. I ran some of this information, shared with me by sources, in various recent blog posts.

According to Microsoft officials this week, here’s what’s coming on the Exchange Online front (from the WPC 2010 slide deck):

(click on the slide to enlarge)

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer  met with The Washington Post Monday for a wide-ranging interview that touched on the software giant's cloud computing strategy, its struggles in the smartphone market and its public policy priorities.

When it comes to cloud computing — which takes software off the desktop PC and moves it to networks of data centers accessed via the Internet — Google may have the edge in consumer apps, but Microsoft is winning with big company clients such as Starbucks, General Electric and Accenture. On the platform level, Ballmer said Microsoft has a leg over Amazon for customers who want a private and customized infrastructure.

As a report warns agencies won't move forward without clearer policy, White House readies comprehensive cloud strategy and cybersecurity rules.

By Kevin McLaughlin, CRN - 7:37 PM EDT Wed. Jun. 30, 2010

Remarks by Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft Mumbai, India May 28, 2010

STEVE BALLMER: Well, thanks. I am super glad to have a chance to be here with you today. I want to share a few thoughts. We get a chance to present a few awards, which I'm excited about, and just have a chance to really sort of conceive of where we all have an opportunity to take the world.

I'm coming up on my 30th anniversary at Microsoft. Oh, am I old. (Applause.) But the thing that's unbelievable that gets me kind of fired up every day is the fact that the chance to do exciting work is unbelievable today, maybe even more unbelievable, frankly, than the day I got to Microsoft, which you could say, come on, there was no PC, there was no Internet, how can today be more exciting? Well, maybe I just know more today than I did then.

But for those of you sitting in the audience, people...

NEW ORLEANS — June 7, 2010 — In an opening-day keynote speech at Microsoft Corp.’s Tech•Ed 2010 North America conference, Bob Muglia, president of the company’s Server and Tools Division, outlined the benefits and possibilities of cloud computing and how Microsoft can help customers harness the next generation of IT. Muglia noted that customers have different needs, with some desiring to extend efficiencies and productivity through existing investments in datacenters and applications while others look to cloud computing as a new model to enhance IT and the way they do business.

“Our job, simply put, is to deliver what customers need to take advantage of cloud computing on their own terms,” Muglia said. “Some vendors would have you believe that you must move everything to the cloud now and there is only one way to achieve cloud computing; don’t be misled and lose sight of the value of all the investments you have already made to enable the full promise of cloud computing.

...

Leading provider of digital media management shortens Exchange and SharePoint migration times to Microsoft Cloud Services, and takes advantage of simplified cloud management with BPOS-Experts.

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 24, 2010 -- Emerging leader in Microsoft cloud migration and management software, BPOS-Experts, today announced that top digital asset management provider XOS Digital selected BPOS Commander for its Exchange and SharePoint content BPOS migration.

XOS Digital serves collegiate and professional sports organizations across the US, and, specializes in redefining the consumption of digital sports content with digital media, coaching, and integrated technology solutions and services. Currently serving more than 480 sports partners representing over 900 teams in 8 nationally recognized sports leagues and associations, XOS Digital is co-headquartered in Boston Massachusetts and Orlando Florida.

BPOS Commander is a must-have tool if you're planning on adopting Microsoft Online

After making the decision to migrate to BPOS (part of Microsoft Online Services), IT Director Chris Moore selected BPOS Commander to facilitate the migration of the companies Exchange and SharePoint content.

Posted June 25th, 2010 by Joe Panettieri

Microsoft announced the channel chief change on June 24, less than three weeks before the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) is scheduled to start (July 11, Washington D.C.).

What SaaS and cloud partner steps can Roskill potentially take? Here are five recommendations:

April 21, 2010 Wednesday is Day Two of Microsoft Management Summit 2010, an annual event for customers and partners that showcases current and future IT solutions including server and desktop management, cloud computing and optimization tools for Windows 7 deployment.

Video: Keynote Clips: Brad Anderson, corporate vice president of the Management and Services Division, delivers a keynote address about user-centric management strategies.