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HP and Microsoft Float Cloud Appliances

HP and Microsoft have always been close. Maybe it's all the Windows-based servers and PCs HP sells, but the two get along better than Ozzie and Harriet.

Last year the two lovebirds struck a co-development deal worth a cool quarter of a billion somalians. Now the fruits of that deal are ready to be plucked. HP has an array of appliances that purport to offer a "private cloud in a box."

One appliance is an Exchange server, all set up and ready to go, which can handle around 500 mailboxes. HP also has a range of SQL Server boxes, including a massive data warehousing machine that sells for a mere $2 million. That is some serious crunching.

A number of third parties have built these kinds of plug 'em in and go appliances. While they may be more expensive than a do-it-yourself solution, you can save money in set up and management costs.

Do you like appliances, or prefer the home built approach? Either way, write me at [email protected].

Posted by Doug Barney on 02/01/2011 at 12:47 PM


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