Picking its partners
Microsoft has also teamed up with Fujitsu, which will use the new platform in its data centres, starting in Japan from the end of 2010. Fujitsu's cloud offerings will include system integration, cloud migration and managed services to customers and independent software vendors.
Fujitsu said the platform will add to its cloud portfolio, in particular allowing customers to subscribe to business services- in business rather than technology terms- representing a ‘significant shift in the way the IT industry creates value. The firm said this consequently lets customers address business scenarios that require rapid scaling of applications and obtain services that are predictable and immediately consumable.
Furthermore, Microsoft has announced eBay will be one of its first customers to use its Windows Azure Platform in a joint venture to create an ‘automated, scalable, cost-effective capacity management solution.'
Ballmer also reportedly said Microsoft plans to launch windows 7-based slate PCs within a matter of months to rival Apple's iPad, which has sold a staggering 3m units within just 80 days of its launch. However, he did not name Microsoft's biggest competitor.
He said the slates will be manufactured by the usual suspects such as: Asus, dell, Samsung, Toshiba and Sony but interestingly omitted HP, which has been a favoured partner in developing tablets until it recently snapped up Palm - and its webOS mobile operating system - for $1.2bn. HP is expected to bring out its own tablet built around webOS.
Ballmer had previously talked up an HP prototype slate at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, although that now seems to be forgotten.
Ballmer reportedly said: "We want to give you a consumer-oriented device, but a device that fits and is manageable with today's enterprise IT solutions. They'll come with keyboards, they'll come without keyboards, they'll be dockable, there'll be many form factors, many price points, many sizes. But they will run Windows 7. This is a terribly important area for us."
