Microsoft Report Highlights Office and Azure Amidst Gloomy Report
Microsoft Report Highlights Office and Azure Amidst Gloomy Report by UCStrategies Staff
Microsoft’s Q4 produced some undesirable results (including a $900 million charge for its Surface RT tablet), but cloud partners have nonetheless noted some positive spots. Office 365 and Azure, two of the company’s prominent cloud solutions, have produced these optimistic points.
The CEO at Los Angeles, California-based SADA Systems, Tony Safoian, speaking of his company, said: “I won't quote exact growth numbers, but it's growing very rapidly.” SADA Systems is a Microsoft partner and information technology consulting firm which focuses on Office 365 deployment, migration and implementation services.
The cloud business at SADA has progressively been developing at over 60 percent annually in the last five or six years, according to Safoian. In reference to the applications which businesses could move to the cloud, he said: “There is massive work to be done.”
It is only recently that customers have begun moving to the cloud, and Safoian added that businesses will start with Microsoft Office 365, including cloud based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Exchange, Lync and other apps.
Other applications must also be moved to the cloud, and with regard to the public cloud platform which is able to host applications not yet being developed in or hosted by the cloud, Safoian noted: “Azure can be that home.”
Windows Azure is being used by over half of Fortune 500 companies, according to the Microsoft CFO, Amy Hood. Based on the company’s figures, the platform is now growing at an annual rate of $1 billion. Furthermore, large businesses which attempt to make the jump to the cloud are opting for Office 365, which at present has a $1.5 billion run rate.
Figures from Microsoft show that around 150,000 (a quarter) of Microsoft’s 650,000 partners are part of its cloud services, yet over 50,000 partners now use Office 365 to run their businesses, which is over two times that of a year ago.
Office 365 and Azure have demonstrated a contrast in their performances of other Microsoft products, particularly the Surface RT tablet.
Indeed, Office 365 and Azure provided a bright contrast to the performance of other Microsoft products, particularly the Surface RT tablet.
Champions Solutions Group is a solution provider in Boca Raton, Florida, which develops and operates Microsoft 365 Command on Azure. Chris Pyle, of the company, stated: “We are very happy with Azure.” He added that there had been an increase of 175 percent this year in the company’s Microsoft cloud business.
Pyle commented: “I am also pleased with the Azure Circle partner program that has been rolled out a few months ago.” Support offered by the program helps partners who are moving clients to the cloud with training and demonstrations of Azure tools; this provides more business opportunities for partners. Pyle added: “Our pipeline is growing.” (CY) Link