Cloud talk dominates Microsoft partner summit

Software giant confirms cloud compatibility will form ongoing part of product road map

Microsoft hopes the event will answer VARs' questions about its cloud strategy

Microsoft has used the first day of its worldwide partner summit to outline its cloud computing strategy and product road map.

The software giant estimates that more than 14,000 Microsoft partners from across the globe have made the trek to Washington for the event, which kicked off yesterday with several product announcements.

These included the unveiling of Windows Azure, a cloud services platform designed to be deployed in service providers’ datacentres, and its private and public cloud-enabling platform Windows Server.

Talking to CRN, Microsoft’s director for strategy and programmes Clare Barclay said the announcements were indicative of the company’s increasing focus on cloud technologies.

She said: “Everything [at the event] has been about cloud and helping partners understand more about the strategic bet we are placing on the technology.

“All the partners I have spoken to are optimistic and excited about cloud, but they need to know more from Microsoft about what it is doing to help them make the most of the opportunities in the cloud.”

Seventy per cent of Microsoft’s product engineers are working on cloud offerings, she said, a figure the firm expects to hit 90 per cent in due course.

“It is a strategic investment shift because we want to make sure that every offering we bring to market is cloud-enabled,” she explained.