EarthLink (NASDAQ: ELNK) continued its transformation from an Internet service provider to a cloud services provider with the launch of EarthLink Business Cloud Workspace, a hosted desktop service that, according to EarthLink, “enables customers to control business applications and data with secure access for employees from anywhere, from any device and via any high-speed” Internet connection.

Cloud Workspace is the company’s most recent virtualization service — three EarthLink IT Services packages were announced in April 2012.

Designed as a virtual office, Cloud Workspace is designed to enable organizations to lower operating costs and capital expenditures, boost workforce productivity, and enjoy security protection on EarthLink’s centralized IT infrastructure, according to the company. The platform already boasts more than 250 applications, and also features centralized data storage.

Features of the customizable Cloud Workspace, according to EarthLink, include:

“With our new Cloud Workspace solution, we’ve taken the complexity out of application management and end-user accessibility while maximizing business benefits of the cloud,” said Mike Fuqua, VP of Managed Services Product Management, in the press release. “Cloud Workspace simplifies manageability, increases protection and delivers data and applications securely from the cloud, allowing users the convenience of using any device to access and run applications and data as if local to them, even while moving between devices.”

At the end of April, EarthLink launched new partnerships with VMware, Microsoft and Zimbra, the open source e-mail system that VMware owns. Joe Panettieri pointed out in his blog the several elements of EarthLink’s cloud strategy, and noted its cloud and managed services push shifted into high-gear in mid-2011, when the company promoted Brian Fink into the post of executive VP of managed services.

Talkin’ Cloud readers interested in the EarthLink Business channel partner program can click here to read an overview.