Which UK partner has become the first firm in the world to deploy Microsoft's Azure Stack?

Service provider partners with Lenovo to install the Azure Stack solution in its datacentre

UK service provider ITPS has become the first firm in the world to deploy Microsoft's Azure Stack.

The Gateshead-based channel partner has installed the hybrid infrastructure in its datacentre, giving it access to Azure's features in an on-premise environment.

Microsoft announced Azure Stack's availability with three hardware vendors - Dell EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Lenovo - in July.

ITPS said the solution will meet demands from customers who remain uneasy when it comes to storing critical applications in the public cloud.

Paul Anderson, operations director at ITPS, said: "A large proportion of IT managers are still reluctant to move to public cloud due to confusion over the location of their data.

"With GDPR set to come in next year, this concern is growing. Azure Stack overcomes the problem by providing a consistent experience between public and private for a true hybrid experience.

"This allows us to offer a comprehensive cloud solution on a subscription basis to meet a substantial customer demand."

ITPS purchased Azure Stack on Lenovo hardware, with the Lenovo professional services team carrying out the installation.

Guy England, general manager of Lenovo's datacentre group, said: "Microsoft Azure Stack is set to have a revolutionary impact on the datacentre industry and we are proud to be the vendor responsible for the first ever deployment with a leading provider such as ITPS.

"Through our best-in-class support, manufacturing capabilities and long-standing partnership with Microsoft, we have helped to pioneer the growth of full hybrid cloud technology."