Cisco, Microsoft Aim to Revolutionize Data Centers

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MICROSOFT WORLDWIDE PARTNER CONFERENCE — Cisco and Microsoft on Tuesday announced a multiyear sales and go-to-market agreement designed to modernize data centers through the delivery and acceleration of integrated solutions.

The hardware and software giants will both invest in sales, marketing and engineering resources to drive global alignment, while delivering deeper technology integration across cloud and data-center markets. They will focus on integrating technologies, including the Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS), Cisco Nexus switching and Microsoft Cloud OS solutions including Windows Server, System Center, SQL Server and Microsoft Azure.

In the first year, the companies will focus on six countries – the United States, Canada, the U.K., Germany, France, and Australia – with expansion to additional countries in the following years.

Cisco and Microsoft will align partner incentive programs to accelerate solutions selling via mutual channel partners. Their sales teams will work together on cloud and data-center opportunities, including an initial program focused on the migration of Windows 2003 customers to Windows 2012 R2 on the Cisco UCS platform.

Integrated solutions will focus on private cloud, server migration, service provider and SQL Server 2014.

“From innovative technologies and global brands to specialized channel partners, Cisco and Microsoft have the ingredients to transform the traditional data center,” said Frank Palumbo, SVP, Global Data Center and Virtualization Sales, Cisco. “Now we’re expanding our long-standing technical partnership with Microsoft with an aggressive global go-to-market and sales initiative. By providing our customers and partners with greater sales alignment and even deeper technology integration we will help them transform their data centers and accelerate the journey to the cloud.”

“Enterprise customers worldwide are betting on Microsoft and Cisco to realize the benefits of our combined cloud and data-center technologies,” said Stephen Boyle, VP, Worldwide Enterprise & Partners Group, Microsoft. “Now, together, we’re strengthening our joint efforts to help customers move faster, reduce costs and deliver powerful new applications and services for their businesses.”

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