Microsoft to open datacentre in Pune

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PUNE: Microsoft today announced that it would be opening a datacentre in Pune by the end of the year, one of the three that it would be opening in India. Last year the company had announced that it would offer Microsoft Azure and Office 365 cloud services from the local datacentres by the end of 2015. The company has 19 regional data centres globally, set up at a combined investment of $4.5billion. Speaking at the launch of the Microsoft Cloud Accelerator Programme at the Microsoft Azure Conference, Bhaskar Pramanik, chairman, Microsoft India, said, "The cloud accelerator programme is designed to help India move to the the cloud and in turn, help 'Make in India' a reality. This will open up new possibilities in e-governance, financial inclusion, healthcare and education."

The key aim is to increase the adoption of the cloud, whether public, private or a hybrid model, among enterprises and government organizations. The accelerator programme will help enterprises plan local cloud roadmaps by providing a decision framework. The Cloud Decision Framework, aimed primarily at PSUs, government departments and the banking and financial services sector to help them make the transition to the cloud.

Microsoft's cloud platform would also be compliant with local regulations. Microsoft has also launched cloud training programmes - Azure Vidyapeeth and GuruVarta- that will enable SMBs transition to the cloud. The company hopes to reach out to 10,000 SMBs across 250 cities through this.

Karan Bajwa, Managing Director, Microsoft India said, "Our early-adopter customers are already seeing the benefits of public, private and hybrid cloud. With the Cloud Accelerator Program, we and our partners will be able to move thousands of customers to the cloud over the next few months. We are committed to help government departments, public sector organizations, and banking and financial services companies move forward on their own cloud journeys."

Microsoft has seen a rapid rise in cloud adoption in India and across the world. In the quarter ending December 2014, Microsoft's commercial cloud revenue grew 114% globally. This was driven by Office 365, Microsoft Azure and Dynamics CRM Online.