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