Microsoft Gulf has reinforced its partnership with Pacific Controls Cloud Services (PCCS), a leading provider of data centre infrastructure and cloud services, by jointly unveiling an exclusive SaaS (Software as a Service) portal.

The new portal at cloudservicesme.com will provide a range of Microsoft products and software to customers in the Arabian Gulf.

With this partnership, the PCCS cloud products -- based on popular Microsoft applications like Exchange email, SharePoint, Lync and CRM – will be delivered through the exclusive Web portal to customers in the region as cloud applications for monthly subscriptions as against the conventional, perpetual licensing model.

This innovative model provided on cloudservicesme.com platform will help customers convert software licensing and infrastructure cost to operational expenses, a statement said.

The service is provided on-demand upon subscription (minimum one month), along with local hosting, and local helpdesk support. The anytime, anywhere access platform is fast time-to-market, so that no software or server purchase or upgrade is required.

Microsoft Corp partnered with PCCS in 2013 to provide highly customized, robust and scalable Cloud based solutions for enterprises.

Dilip Rahulan, executive chairman of Pacific Controls, said: “We are pleased to reinforce our service offerings with Microsoft Corp in order to promote their much acclaimed and used applications on www.cloudservicesme.com, an innovative and value-added cloud service platform, to the region’s customers.”

“Pacific Controls’ Cloud Services help enterprises save up to 60 per cent in the total cost of ownership (TCO). By optimising the IT system of enterprises, we look after their infrastructure and business applications so their IT staff can focus on projects that are core to their business and drive growth,” he added.

Speaking at a joint press event in the UAE, Bruno Delamarre, Microsoft Gulf’s regional director Mid-Market and Partner Solutions said: “At Microsoft we know that a flourishing IT ecosystem supports enterprise and SME innovation. Through this unique offering being provided by Pacific Controls, businesses in the region will be able to enhance productivity and become more agile while solving some of their toughest business problems.”

“By using Software as a Service, businesses are able to leverage cloud technology and the advances services it enables, to perform better.

“According to a recent report by the Boston Consulting Group, SMEs who adopt Microsoft Cloud services grew faster than SMEs who do not use any Microsoft products. The BCG research reveals that Microsoft products and services are the number one choice of these technology leaders. Microsoft is the brand that small businesses trust and use to power their growth,” he added.

The PCCS services are hosted at its Uptime Institute certified Tier III Data Centre, located in Dubai Techno Park. The facility is the largest data centre campus of its kind in the Middle East. – TradeArabia News Service