Fujitsu is leveraging Microsoft Azure to launch new Hybrid Cloud Services in New Zealand, the company has announced. The partnership will serve the growing number of New Zealand organisations seeking a flexible public and private cloud strategy, it says.
The new Hybrid Cloud Services will use the scalable platform of Microsoft Azure in Australia combined with local offerings from Fujitsu New Zealand, and enable customers to select the right mix of public and private cloud delivered through a single service.
“Our focus is on helping clients select the best mix of public and private cloud for data access and sovereignty requirements while achieving maximum savings,” says Stuart Stitt, Fujitsu New Zealand managing director.
“We believe this is the most cost effective managed solution available to New Zealand businesses and government agencies.
Stitt says the Hybrid Cloud Services are a key part of Fujitsu's approach to Hybrid IT. “Which is enabling businesses to find the perfect balance to allow them to embark on their own cloud journey in a simple and seamless manner by optimising and orchestrating both legacy and cloud services,” he explains.
Stitt says Fujitsu Hybrid Cloud Services allow organisations to optimise their cloud usage by developing a ratio of private cloud to public cloud based on workloads.
“The Hybrid environment allows organisations to create capacity on private cloud for more performance and security sensitive workloads and move other workloads and data wherever it is most appropriate for them – in a public, private or mixed environment.
He says Fujitsu anticipates that savings of 30% or more can be achieved by its management solution that leverages the Microsoft Azure cloud platform for the majority of workloads, which is also supported by a blend of on-premise systems and a private cloud platform – whether that is the customer's own private cloud or Fujitsu's in-country cloud.
Stitt adds that it is becoming more common to adopt a hybrid model with the flexibility and ability to change the balance over time to mirror any organisation's needs, which change over time.
“With many organisations now taking major steps towards cloud computing rather than maintaining their own capital-intensive IT infrastructure, there's growing recognition that there is ‘no one size fits all' approach,” he says.
“Fujitsu's new Hybrid Cloud Services can run an enterprise or government application in Microsoft Azure using data generated in one or more customer sites and hold that data securely in a location of the customer's choice – it has seamless integration and management.
Brent Kendrick, Microsoft New Zealand's Midmarket Small Business - Partners group director, says Microsoft has welcomed the platform launch.
“Cloud adoption is a simple question of efficiency and we believe the best answer is a hybrid cloud solution incorporating the Azure public cloud and our Cloud OS Network partners' in-country cloud,” Kendrick says.
"Our combined solution equips Kiwi companies to manage their business in a mobile-first, cloud-first world and we're very pleased to be partnering with Fujitsu in this way.
Stitt encourages IT decision makers to engage Fujitsu New Zealand in discussions during strategic and planning phases for infrastructure projects.
He says, “Teaming with Microsoft to create the Hybrid Cloud Services is testament to the strength of the partnership and shared expertise between the two companies.
“Our Hybrid Cloud Service offerings are a truly global solution. Importantly, it's also ‘local' so that data can stay resident in-country, meeting the regulations and data sovereignty needs.
The new Fujitsu Hybrid Cloud Services are suitable for local government and can be combined with other Fujitsu services such as IT Managed Services, Stitt adds.