HP makes cloud commitment to Microsoft

HP and Microsoft have announced a four-year scheme that will see the software giant's technology go into HP's private, hybrid and public cloud products

The deal, announced on Thursday in a joint statement by the two companies, will see HP provide Microsoft software within its cloud products.

"This alliance with HP not only broadens Microsoft's geographic reach," Mark Hill, vice president of Microsoft's enterprise partner group, said in a statement. "It gives customers maximum flexibility to choose a cloud computing solution that meets their organisation's specialised messaging and collaboration needs."

HP plans to wrap Microsoft software into its cloud services products and host them in its datacentres across the world. It will also integrate Microsoft Office 365 with the HP Public Cloud. Office 365 will be resold by HP within its HP Enterprise Cloud Services-Collaboration and HP Enterprise Cloud Services-Real-Time Collaboration products as well.

The three tranches of products are set to become available later in December in Australia, Canada, the UK and the USA, before being rolled out across the world.

Pricing was not disclosed.

HP and Microsoft have a history of collaboration — in January 2010 the companies signed a three-year deal to integrate their products for small businesses.