MSPmentor has compiled a list of the top cloud computing stories that managed service providers (MSPs) need to know about for the week ending Jan. 23.

This week’s column features cloud computing news from Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Platform9, Datapipe and FortyCloud.

Google Compute Engine Local SSD Exits Beta

Google Compute Engine‘s Local SSD option is now generally available. Google Product Manager Kirill Tropin said this offering, which was released in beta last October, allows customers to “attach between 1 and 4 SSD partitions of 375 GB to any full core [virtual machine] and have dedicated use of those partitions.”

Microsoft: Try ExpressRoute for Free Through Partners

Microsoft is offering Azure customers the chance to try out its ExpressRoute data center and infrastructure connection service for free until the end of June. ExpressRoute partners AT&T (T), British Telecom (BT), Colt (COLT), Level 3 (LVLT) and Verizon (VZ) are supporting Azure customers as part of the promotion.

Platform9 Launches Managed OpenStack Private Cloud Solution

Platform9 has released Platform9 Managed OpenStack, an OpenStack offering that could make it easier for organizations to adopt private cloud solutions. The Sunnyvale, California-based private cloud company said its new release “transforms an organization’s existing servers into an [Amazon Web Services-like] agile, self-service private cloud within minutes.”

Datapipe Acquires Big Data Multi-Cloud Solutions Provider GoGrid

Hybrid IT solutions company Datapipe has added GoGrid, a San Francisco-based infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) provider, to its portfolio. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Datapipe Chief Marketing Officer Craig Sowell said he believes that the acquisition of GoGrid enables his company to offer customers “the most advanced solutions for implementing and managing big data environments on the cloud.”

FortyCloud, Numergy Partner for Localized Clouds

Security-as-a-service (SECaaS) provider FortyCloud and public cloud services company Numergy are working together to deliver localized cloud offerings as alternatives to global public cloud services. FortyCloud said Numergy customers can now use its software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering to secure their public cloud deployments.

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