Pulsant says that the latest technical preview of Microsoft’s upcoming Azure Stack is due for deployment in its datacentres at the beginning of April. Pulsant is one of seven hosting partners chosen by Dell as part of a seeded hardware programme and is the only company in the UK.
Azure Stack, Microsoft’s hybrid cloud platform that allows users to deliver Azure services from their own datacentres in a way that is consistent with Azure public cloud, is due for release later this year. Microsoft and its chosen hardware partners, Dell, Lenovo and HPE, have been working with chosen hosting companies to build and deploy the technology into their datacentres.
“The Pulsant team has been collaborating with Microsoft and Dell on the development of Azure Stack and as we approach the deployment of TP3, we are looking forward to the final launch later this year,” says Stuart Nielsen-Marsh, director Microsoft strategy, Pulsant.
“Essentially TP3 deployed in Pulsant’s datacentres will be our glimpse of what to expect from the final version of Azure Stack. From there we will be running proof of concept trials with some of our chosen customers. Azure Stack is ideal for those customers who want the power of cloud services but also want the ability to retain control over their data and applications.”
Microsoft has provided all the necessary hardware, software, technical and installation support, and once TP3 is installed, the company will assess and monitor it to make final incremental improvements prior to launch. The feedback will also shape Pulsant’s training that will be delivered to staff in conjunction with Microsoft and Dell’s engineering and technical teams.