OREANDA-NEWS. April 13, 2012. Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT / TSE:6501) and Microsoft Japan Co., Ltd. today announced that they collaboratively provide global cloud solutions by combination of Hitachi Cloud Computing Solutions and Microsoft® Windows Azure™ Platform which is public cloud service provided from Microsoft's global data center. Hitachi cloud computing solution will be enhanced by this collaboration in order to satisfy Japanese customer's broad needs including globalization.

As usage of cloud computing is rapidly expanded in enterprise IT systems, cloud computing is evolving to be used in cooperation with mission critical system (mainly in form of hybrid cloud), while cloud computing conventionally has been used in a limited part of enterprise information system (mainly in form of public cloud and private cloud).

Customers who apply cloud computing to their mission critical systems and expand their business to global are confronting challenges in efficiency of IT investment, safety and security of cloud computing, e.g. "want to utilize the existing IT assets on Microsoft platform," "don't want to keep core data abroad" and "worry about on-site support when using global cloud computing services."

In this collaboration, by cooperation of leading-edge cloud computing services of both companies, Hitachi and Microsoft jointly provide Hybrid Cloud Solutions which enable the reuse of existing IT assets, safe and secure collaboration among clouds, and quick IT system change corresponding to shift in business environment. With these efforts, Hitachi and Microsoft assist globalization and business expansion of Japanese companies.

To offer new cloud solutions, Hitachi provides WAN acceleration technology to collaborate data centers, integrated operation and management technology in addition to consulting and system integration services based on Hitachi's abundant experience, and high quality and highly reliable cloud services. Microsoft provides latest technology of evolving Windows Azure Platform, technology for integrated management, and technology for collaboration with Microsoft's global data center. In addition, both companies jointly provide global on-site support which remove concerns of global Japanese customers on support.