Microsoft acquires cloud-storage appliance vendor StorSimple

It looks like Microsoft isn't limiting its "devices and services company" mission to the consumer side of the house only.

Microsoft announced plans on October 16 to acquire StorSimple Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based StorSimple is a player in the "cloud-integrated storage (CiS) space.

StorSimple provides cloud-integrated enterprise storage for Windows and VMware by integrating the cloud with on-premises enterprise storage "through a single appliance that delivers high-performance tiered storage, live archiving, cloud-based data protection and disaster recovery," according to StorSimple's Web site.

Microsoft officials said CiS will figure into Microsoft's hybrid cloud-computing approach.

Neither Microsoft nor StorSimple is sharing information about plans around future support of VMware. But Microsoft officials are saying that they will continue to work with other storage partners with both on-premises and cloud-integrated offerings, even after it acquires StorSimple.

Update: Microsoft officials are downplaying the hardware element in today's StorSimple acquisition.

"StorSimple’s differentiation is in their software intellectual property and their talent. While its appliance relies on standard hardware provided by a third party; there are no hardware engineers on its staff," said Michael Park, Corporate Vice President, Windows Server and Management Product Marketing Group, via an e-mailed statement. "Microsoft has a long history of partnering with storage OEMs and we believe the acquisition of StorSimple will create new partnering opportunities. "