Dell Technologies, Microsoft Reveal 'Intimate' Hybrid Cloud Relationship

Customer demand for hybrid cloud is driving a new, closer relationship between Dell Technologies and Microsoft.

The pairing is a result of demand from clients for benefits of the public cloud in the data center, said Dell’s UK leader.

Dell’s Dayne Turbitt

“We’ve been intimate with Microsoft for many years,” said Dayne Turbitt, SVP and general manager at Dell. “That intimacy is now just extending into the data center. It’s the natural evolution.”

Turbitt said the relationship has extended from client to bringing Azure services into the data center. More specifically, he added, “to the edge because that’s the emerging boundary.”

“We’re seeing a seismic shift in clients wanting to leverage the cloud-based services that they know and love in the public cloud for the hard and difficult workloads in the data center.”

Microsoft said that despite developing cloud technology, it has continued to invest in deliver on premises.

Microsoft’s Michael Wignall

“In the last couple of years, we’ve seen a massive acceleration of digital transformation,” added Michael Wignall, Azure business lead, Microsoft. “More recently I’m seeing the shift to multicloud and to hybrid cloud, and to wanting choice and flexibility about how they access it.”

The two vendors were talking at their “formal go to market” launch Thursday. They said by working together, it would be easier for partners to source joint solutions.

See the slideshow above to find out how and why the vendors want to align.