Dell and Microsoft partner for Azure in a box; Dell joins CSP program
Dell has joined Microsoft's cloud solution provider program and will sell Microsoft cloud solutions across Azure, the Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite and Office 365.
News of Dell joining the CSP program came as the two vendors announced a new partnership to sell a fully integrated, pre-configured system, built on Dell modular infrastructure and preloaded with Microsoft cloud platform system software, including Azure services.
The 'Azure in a box' offering is aimed at companies building out a hybrid cloud environment, with the two vendors saying the new cloud solution and program 'will enable organisations of all sizes to use the Microsoft cloud platform to transform their business'.
Michael Dell, Dell chief executive, says digital transformation is an imperative for business today. "We are making our customers' journey easier and faster through adoption of hybrid cloud," he says.
"Dell shares a vision with Microsoft that open architectures and simplified cloud management will benefit customers of all sizes, freeing them to focus on their businesses and not their technology," Dell says.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft chief executive, says by expanding its longstanding partnership with Dell to offer 'a truly integrated hybrid cloud, we will make the cloud more accessible to organisatons of all sizes with the choice and flexibility to best meet their needs'.
"A core part of our mission to empower every organisation on the planet requires us to build world-class platforms and forge deeper partnerships that help businesses of all sizes transform with digital technology," Nadella says.
The companies say the hybrid cloud experience comes from the platform's consistency with Azure, enabling agile deployment and operation of workloads and allowing customers to build multi-tiered, scalable applications.
The Cloud Platform System Standard (CPS Standard) is a smaller version of the Cloud Platform System Premium, which the companies released a year ago for large enterprises and service providers needing a higher-capacity hybrid cloud solution.
Meanwhile, on the cloud solution provider front, the companies say the combination of Azure services and Dell's hardware, software and consulting services will help customers through their hybrid cloud journey from inception to implementation.
"As a cloud solution provider, Dell will also provide end-to-end enterprise mobility and identity solutions, based on EMS and Azure Active Directory," the companies say.
Earlier this year, news that Dell would sell Microsoft's Surface Pro tablets to its customers caused ructions in the reseller channel.
Angela Fox, Dell vice president and general manager for New Zealand and Australia, told ChannelLife at the time that the deal was an opportunity, rather than a threat, for local resellers, who would be able to on-sell the Surface Pro for Dell.
