Cisco, Microsoft Team to Target the Data Center

Cisco (CSCO) announced a range of new joint technologies and integrated solutions targeting data centers that use Microsoft’s Cloud OS technologies. With those customers in mind the two companies are combining the Cisco Unified Data Center architecture with Microsoft Fast Track architecture solutions.

Microsoft Fast Track 3.0 solutions simplify the management of combined Cisco and Microsoft data centers by giving Microsoft customers programmatic access to the Cisco Unified Computing System (Cisco UCS).  Both Cisco and EMC and Cisco and NetApp reference architectures have been validated for the Microsoft Fast Track 3.0 program. The Cisco Nexus 1000V series virtual and cloud networking platform, combined with Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Extensible Switch and System Center Virtual Machine Manager allow customers who wish to virtualize certain aspects of their data center networks can do so alongside physical networking and cloud computing infrastructure. The Cisco UCS UI Extension Add-in for System Center 2012 SP1 Virtual Machine Manager provides centralized management of Cisco UCS by allowing access to Cisco UCS management controls from within System Center Virtual Machine Manager.

“Microsoft’s Cloud OS approach, based on Windows Server 2012 and System Center 2012 SP1, gives customers a comprehensive platform for implementing their infrastructure on premises, with a hosting service provider, and in the cloud," said Brad Anderson, corporate vice president, Windows Server and System Center at Microsoft. "Combining the proven Microsoft Fast Track architecture with Cisco’s innovative Unified Data Center architecture provides partners and customers with a first-class option for navigating their way through today’s new age of data center deployment and management.”

Cisco and Microsoft intend to roll out targeted channel initiatives in select countries to enable alignment in selling Microsoft Fast Track 3.0 architecture solutions.

“Cisco and Microsoft are focused on helping customers realize a new business vision for the cloud era, and Scalability Experts has become a key leader in advancing this vision by leveraging scalable and high-performance platforms," said Raj Gill, founder and chief technology officer, Scalability Experts. "Increasing the performance of database operations, lowering IT costs and improving business decision-making capabilities is what we focus on delivering to each of our clients.  Microsoft solutions and Cisco’s UCS compute family are key strategic platforms for enabling us to consistently exceed our customer’s expectations.”