The rivalry between Microsoft and VMware over the costs of tapping virtualization infrastructure has intensified.
                    
			            - By Kurt  Mackie
 - August 30, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft on Monday unveiled a promotion that pays back customers $150 per user seat for switching to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online from CRM competitors.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
 - August 29, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft signed an interoperability and legal agreement on Tuesday with China Standard Software Co. Ltd. (CS2C) as part of a Linux server partnership deal. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
                    
			            - By Kurt  Mackie
 - August 23, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    HP stunned the IT world by saying it is considering the spinoff or sale of its PC division. The company also announced it is killing its webOS-based hardware business -- marking an exit from its short-lived tablet and smartphone arm -- while looking at licensing options for its webOS software business.
                    
			            - By Jeffrey  Schwartz
 - August 19, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft on Thursday told Office 365 customers affected by this week's outage that it will deduct 25 percent from this month's bill. 
                    
			            - By Jeffrey  Schwartz
 - August 19, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Amazon has issued an apology and explanation in response to the massive cloud outage that crippled its Dublin datacenter last week.
                    
			            - By Jeffrey  Schwartz
 - August 18, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    For users of Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Services (BPOS), the transition to Office 365 will begin next month, but Microsoft's latest communications indicate a few caveats.
                    
			            - By Kurt  Mackie
 - August 17, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Several Microsoft cloud services, including Office 365, SkyDrive and CRM Online, experienced major outages on Wednesday.
                    
			            - By Jeffrey  Schwartz
 - August 17, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    According to a recent report by Avanade, the nightmare of "cloud sprawl" is quickly becoming a reality for a growing number of executives. Here's how to guide your clients through the cloud-services minefield.
                    
			            - By Jeffrey  Schwartz
 - August 16, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft and Amazon both suffered brief cloud outages on Sunday when lightning struck cloud datacenters run by both companies in Dublin, Ireland.
                    
			            - By Kurt  Mackie
 - August 09, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Now that it's available, partners are prepared to start offering Microsoft's biggest bet in the cloud to date.
                    
			            - By Jeffrey  Schwartz
 - August 04, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft created a new partner category when it launched Office 365 to fix the billing problems that vexed partners with BPOS. But there's a catch.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
 - August 04, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    For Microsoft global alliance partner Dimension Data, the OpSource acquisition both takes the company to the cloud, and gives it a more multivendor presence up there.
                    
			            - By Scott  Bekker
 - July 31, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    With Microsoft rolling out more of its key business applications in the cloud, the channel must prepare. But in interviews at Microsoft Convergence, partners and customers are finding the cloud is just one more reason to re-emphasize good old-fashioned services.
                    
			            - By Barb  Levisay
 - July 25, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Bob Muglia, the former president of Microsoft's Server & Tools Business, has joined Juniper Networks as the vice president of that company's Software Solutions Division. 
                    
			            - By Gladys  Rama
 - July 25, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft and Capgemini are extending their collaboration efforts on Windows Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, according to a joint announcement this week.
                    
			            - By Kurt  Mackie
 - July 22, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    The Microsoft "license mobility with Software Assurance" (SA) program can also apply to Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon announced last week. 
                    
			            - By Kurt  Mackie
 - July 20, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    The former head of Microsoft's Server and Cloud Division (SCD), Amitabh Srivastava, has joined EMC Corp. as the president of that company's Advanced Storage Division.
                    
			            - By Gladys  Rama
 - July 20, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    Microsoft's Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) suffered outages on Tuesday may have hampered e-mail services for North American users for about three hours. 
                    
			            - By Kurt  Mackie
 - July 19, 2011
 
		            
		            
                
                    
                    
                    
                 
            
                
	                
                    
                                        
		            
                    The beta of System Center Operations Manager 2012, Microsoft's application and infrastructure performance monitoring tool that supports private and public clouds, became available for download on Tuesday.
                    
			            - By Kurt  Mackie
 - July 19, 2011