Fujitsu looks to the cloud
Fujitsu is combining its servers and storage with Microsoft's Windows Azure platform, under a global strategic partnership the two companies concluded last year.
The service aims to enable corporate customers to cut the costs of their data operations management.
The Seattle Times says Fujitsu has been testing the appliance with 20 companies since April.
With the Fujitsu appliance, Microsoft is hoping to distinguish itself from its competitors by offering a hybrid cloud product.
The appliance uses Microsoft's cloud software, but businesses don't have to transfer their software and data to Microsoft data centres.
With Salesforce.com and Amazon.com's cloud products, businesses have to move their software and data to Salesforce.com and Amazon.com's servers.
ZDnet states that Microsoft officials expect large enterprises, such as eBay, to house the containers in their own data centres onsite, and to run their own customer-hosted clouds.
Over time, smaller service providers also will be authorised to make Azure appliances available to their customers, as well, according to Microsoft.
Fujitsu's goal with the new Azure-based offering is to sign up 400 enterprise companies, plus 5 000 small and medium enterprises five years after the roll-out.
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