Capgemini: Giving Microsoft BPOS A SaaS Boost?
Capgemini, the technology and outsourcing consulting service, and Microsoft have inked an alliance to help businesses embrace the cloud. The move could also give Microsoft’s Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) SaaS platform a lift. Here’s why.
Capgemini plans on marketing and delivering BPOS to its customers. The consulting firm says the move builds on Capgemini’s existing relationship with the Microsoft Windows Azure team. While BPOS involves Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and other Microsoft-centric applications, Windows Azure is a cloud operating system for a range of third-party applications.
Microsoft is building similar SaaS relationships with other big integrators. One prime example involves Computer Sciences Corp., which helped Microsoft to win a major BPOS and SaaS engagement with the U.K.’s Royal Mail Group.
Back in March 2010, Microsoft Channel Chief Allison Watson called on partners to more aggressively embrace both BPOS and Windows Azure. Some VARs think the Microsoft cloud platforms offer a clear path into recurring revenue opportunities, but other partners worry about Microsoft controlling billing, branding and customer relationships for the platforms.
Additional reporting by Joe Panettieri. Sign up for The VAR Guy’s Newsletter; Webcasts and Resource Center; and via RSS; Facebook; Identi.ca; Twitter and VARtweet.
