Cloud Computing


Microsoft Scores Three Higher-Education Office 365 Contracts

Three universities recently inked Microsoft Office 365 contracts -- Sacramento State University, University of Miami and University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

Microsoft Details Plans To Integrate Yammer with Office 365, SharePoint

Microsoft's plans for enterprise social networking will increasingly revolve around Yammer, with improvements rolling out this year, according to a Microsoft executive.

Tales of Partner Successes in Microsoft's 'Cloud OS'

The combination of Windows Server 2012, System Center 2012 SP1 and Windows Intune have given Microsoft partners new opportunities to expand their businesses into the cloud. Here are a few examples.

Microsoft Wants You To Become a Cloud Provider

You've heard the warnings before, but they're ringing true: If you're not able to provide value-added services, you're probably not going to profit from your relationship with Microsoft.

Microsoft Acquires Cloud Automation Startup MetricsHub

Microsoft has acquired Seattle-based cloud performance management company MetricsHub for an undisclosed amount, the two companies announced on Tuesday.

Microsoft Gives Windows Azure Active Directory Controls a Boost

Microsoft has made some management improvements to Windows Azure, on the heels of adding federation capabilities between Windows Azure and Windows Server.

Microsoft Joins Cloud Advocacy Organization as 'Contributor'

Microsoft has joined cloud computing advocacy group Open Data Center Alliance (ODCA) as a "contributor," the organization announced on Wednesday.

Microsoft Launches Office 365 for Small and Midsize Businesses

Microsoft rounded out its Office 365-branded products on Wednesday with the launch of three new editions of the productivity suite.

VMware Revamps Partner Competency Program, Launches 'Cloud Credits'

VMware has overhauled its Partner Competency program, as well as added new revenue-generating incentives for solution providers selling cloud services, the company announced at this week's VMware Partner Exchange Conference in Las Vegas.

UPDATED: Windows Azure Storage Restored After Worldwide Outage

Service was restored to Microsoft's Windows Azure storage on Saturday, after an expired SSL certificate left customers unable to access their data beginning Friday afternoon.

Microsoft To Shutter Mesh Sync Service This Week

Wednesday, Feb. 13 will be the last day for Microsoft's Mesh file synchronization service.

Office 2013 Coming March with Touch and Cloud Hooks

Microsoft's next-generation Office products will reach general availability in March, the company said.

Parallels Overhauls Platform, Launches APS 2.0 and Cloud Storage

Parallels on Tuesday unveiled an overhaul of its channel-focused platform for delivering cloud-based services to SMB customers.

Analysis: Microsoft To Shift Its Focus to Tablets and the Cloud

Echoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's declaration in October that Microsoft is now a "devices and services company," a newly published report indicates that Microsoft's product strategy for 2013 will be focused on tablets and cloud-enabled software.

Microsoft Cuts Windows Azure Prices for SQL Reporting Services

Microsoft lowered Windows Azure price decrease last week for its SQL Reporting Services, which is used for business intelligence-type applications.

Windows Azure Active Directory: Taking AD Deeper into the Cloud

Active Directory took its first step into the cloud with Office 365, but Microsoft is upping the ante with free access control in the forthcoming Windows Azure Active Directory.

Google Extends Windows Phone ActiveSync Support by Six Months

Windows Phone users will have until July 31 to access Google Apps features that use Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync technology, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft Releases Next-Generation Office 365 Products (UPDATED)

Microsoft released the consumer, student and small-business editions of its next-generation Office 365 products on Tuesday.

VMware To Lay Off up to 900 Despite Positive Earnings Report

Despite reporting rising revenues in its latest earnings report, cloud and virtualization giant VMware announced on Monday that it would be implementing companywide layoffs.

Microsoft Offers Explanation for December Windows Azure Outage

Customers of Microsoft's Windows Azure Storage service who were affected by December's two-day disruption received a detailed apology and explanation from Microsoft on Wednesday.