Microsoft Online Services’ global customer base smashes 40 million user milestone

Microsoft Online Services’ global customer base smashes 40 million user milestone

27 April, 2010 | Sydney, Australia

Microsoft Corporation today reached a major milestone in cloud adoption, with over 40 million global users now running Microsoft Online Services. Today’s news reflects the rapid uptake of Microsoft Online Services by local partners and customers, which has been instrumental in driving cloud adoption in Australian businesses since the service became available in Australia through Telstra’s T-Suite Platform in September 2009.

Making IT easier

The latest Microsoft Online Service customers include a Hollard Group insurance products and services provider, Real Insurance; pet accessory manufacturer, Red Dingo; and medical rescue services company, Immediate Assistants. These three are among hundreds of other Australian businesses that have chosen to implement Microsoft Online Services.

Markus Strauss, Head of Information Technology at Real Insurance, said: “Microsoft Online Services provides us with a robust and available business tool that we couldn’t afford to build ourselves. Even better, a high level of service was available from day one and as our business grows, we only pay for what we need.”

At Red Dingo, Business Development Manager, Trish Brown, commented: “The best thing about Microsoft Online Services is that it takes away the day-to-day operation and responsibility of our IT services, allowing us to get on with the business of running our business.”

Dr. Adrian Cohen, CEO, Immediate Assistants, said: “Microsoft Online Services has delivered us high availability, comprehensive security and simplified IT management. It has revolutionised the way we communicate, the clarity of our communications, the ease of our interactions and has dramatically reduced our IT spend.”

Microsoft Online Services provides customers of all sizes with enterprise class communications and collaboration services such as Exchange Online, Office Communications Online, Office SharePoint Online and Office Live Meeting as a subscription service, hosted by Microsoft in the cloud, and provided through Telstra’s T-Suite Platform. By subscribing to Microsoft Online Services, businesses are free to leave their commodity IT management to Microsoft and Telstra, enabling them to focus on more strategic IT initiatives. Microsoft Online Services is part of a broad suite of offerings that Microsoft provides to its customers through the cloud.

Paul Voges, Small and Medium Business & Partner Group Director, said: “Microsoft Online Services provides greater choice in the way businesses purchase, deploy and maintain the software designed to help them run better. We have seen great traction in the marketplace so far and are continuing to see more and more customers sign up.”

Brian Harcourt, Executive Director, Maxi and Manager Segments/Emerging Markets, Telstra Business, said: “Since we launched T-Suite last year, we’ve seen customers moving to the cloud to improve their cash flow, productivity and workforce mobility and allow them to focus on running their business, not their IT.”

Extending partnerships

Microsoft and Telstra partners have signed up to sell Microsoft Online Services through Telstra’s T-Suite, which allows them to resell, customise and provide consulting, migration and managed services for the software to their customers. A number of local partners, including HubOne and Within Reach Software, have already helped deploy cloud technologies in businesses throughout Australia.

Nick Beaugeard, Managing Director at HubOne, said: “We are delighted with the low cost of ownership, ease of scalability, speed of product development and competitive commercial advantage that having the power of Microsoft Online Services behind us allows. Having a tool set like Microsoft Online Services that is both familiar and easy to use, ensures that companies such as ours can produce, implement and deliver great benefits to our customers immediately. Microsoft Online Services allows us to give our customers peace of mind that the core of their business will continue to run without them doing anything.”

David Perks, Managing Director, Within Reach Software, commented: “Satisfied customers have been referring us to other companies in their networks and enthusing that at last they can rely on a high quality email service, secure access to company documents from anywhere and improved team working. Being able to provide our customers with the personal touch from our team, in conjunction with the scale of Microsoft and Telstra, is allowing our business to grow rapidly.”

Paul Voges added: “Microsoft Online Services is a cloud-class offering that is familiar for a lot of customers, can deliver excellent customer value and choice and helps create business and revenue opportunities for partners and customers alike. Large and small businesses across Australia are now benefiting from keeping up to date with the latest technology in a way that can be more secure, flexible and cost effective.”

Availability

Telstra is currently offering a bundle of Microsoft Online Services, Telstra Business Broadband and Telstra landline services, which provides businesses with a full suite of productivity tools such as e-mail, calendaring and contacts, shared workspaces and web conferencing, allowing employees and businesses to be more productive and responsive to customers. Depending on their communication needs, businesses can save between $25 and $200 per month, over 24 months.

A complimentary 30 day trial of Microsoft Online Services is available from the T-Suite service from Telstra.

For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Simon Gomes / Alice Ridgway
Howorth
02 8281 3836 / 02 8281 3833
[email protected] / [email protected]

Tags: BPOS, Cloud, Partner

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