Microsoft Cloud OS Network (COSN) program

Cloud OS и Cloud OS Network

Cloud OS is a concept of use of a cloud on the terms of the customer within which three models of services are offered: in Azure cloud, in the private cloud unrolled in DPC of the customer and the third option – in a cloud of the Microsoft partner acting as service provider.

Providing cloud services by partners is implemented through Cloud OS Network (COSN) – the program started by Microsoft at the end of 2013. The corporation selects the best partner providers who could provide to customers reliable cloud services based on technologies of the company from its framework. As of the middle of 2015 Cloud OS Network works in 42 countries, including Russia.

In Russia the initiative is provided by the Cloud OS Network Russia program which was started by the Russian office Microsoft and is the expanded, considering feature of the local market, the version of a similar global initiative. Microsoft notes that the global initiative of COSN includes only one type of service – based on Azure Pack, and in Russia – three types of services. It at the Russian office of corporation is called its main difference.

One more important difference in Microsoft call more dense work with service providers in Russia. Here Microsoft not only provides the engineering resources for its deployment and checks how service is organized, but also helps partners to work a marketing component and many other things.

The first services according to the Cloud OS Network program became available in Russia in 2015

Services within Cloud OS Network Russia

Types of services

As the specialist of the Russian office Microsoft in technology strategy Kirill Kotlyarenko, the Russian Microsoft partners participating in Cloud OS Network Russia explained, provide three types of cloud services based on products of Microsoft. The first of them is an infrastructure and platform service (IaaS and PaaS) based on Microsoft Azure Pack. It gives to customers opportunities for application programming, websites, databases. Here also more low-level elements (virtual machines, networks, data warehouses, etc.), as well as more difficult cloud services can be available (for example, reserve DPC or long-term data backup with preserving).

"This type of service can be delivered in one row with Microsoft Azure: product one, but enters it a lot of different services. In Azure Pack there are also several infrastructure and platform services for business", - Kotlyarenko explains.

The second type of services – providing tools for increase in productivity of work of employees. It is constructed on three products of Microsoft united in a single cloud batch: Exchange 2013, SharePoint 2013 and also a new product –Skype for Business 2015. Service provides such tools as e-mail, the general calendars, holding of conferences, a chat, document flow, corporate file storage, etc.

Microsoft notes that on functionality this service is very close to Office 365, however between them there are essential differences. The first is that it is service from the Russian companies, and all data are stored in the territory of Russia. The second difference – focus of service within Cloud OS Network Russia on the Russian business, taking into account the different technical aspects characteristic of Russia. For example, communication channels. Partners can provide the customer with allocate circuits to increase the speed of work of e-mail, document flow, etc. In addition, in this service, unlike Office 365, there is a possibility of providing telephony directly from a cloud.

Service of providing tools for increase in productivity of work of employees on functionality is close to Office 365

The third service is providing Microsoft Dynamics CRM from a partner cloud. It is represented relevant for customers which do not wish to organize own infrastructure for deployment of CRM and want to use a cloud solution of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, but at the same time to store data in the Russian DPCs.

The Russian office Microsoft notes that began with three main services in which see the largest potential in the Russian market. Further, in process of development of a partner network within Cloud OS Networks Russia, increase in a range of the services provided by them is possible.

Participating partners

The Microsoft partners having the DPCs in the territory of the Russian Federation having high competence on creation of modern architecture of DPC and in storage area of personal data and also having experience of creation of cloud services based on technologies of Microsoft and implementation of hybrid scenarios can join COSN in Russia.

As of June, 2015 seven Microsoft partners participate in the Russian COSN program:Croc,Rostelecom,DataLine,Infobox,Electronic Moscow,Softline and "Cloud Computing". The Russian partners began to provide the first services within COSN in 2015.

"Cloud OS Network is a global project of Microsoft, and we could not but participate in it because this program – a big and timely step on promoting of cloud solutions that in fact is the mission of our company. We do a big rate on this project as resources of an ecosystem of Microsoft will allow to tell about our services to millions of users and thousands of Microsoft partners", - the CEO of Infobox Alexey Bakhtiarov says about the reasons of accession of the company to the program.

The head of project office on development and deployment of products of Rostelecom Dmitry Podshibyakin notes that the services provided within COSN become key in a line of the services provided by their company for corporate clients of Rostelecom because of their universality: services are focused both on a segment of SMB, and on large business, and have flexible tariff policy.

Head of project office on development and deployment of products of Rostelecom Dmitry Podshibyakin

"The COSN Russia program is a component of the Cloud OS program providing placement of elements of IT infrastructures of the companies in own DPC, in Microsoft Azure at the Russian cloud provider with a possibility of migration and transparent management. "Cloud Computing" is a daughter of the largest distributor of the software,MONT company, and, was actually created for implementation of this concept so that partners of MONT – integrators, outsourcers, ISV and others – could implement modern IT projects for the clients and would have all necessary cloud tools near at hand", -Maxim Zakharenko, the CEO of Oblakoteka says.

The first services in Russia

So, Croc suggests customers to use based on the public cloud services for developers (infrastructure as service) and office solutions Office 365 (software as service).

"Customers are offered to use usual services Microsoft according to the cloud scheme. Thanks to it they can optimize resource consumption and costs for licenses and to exclude the problems caused by the possible termination of access to a cloud as now it is in the territory of Russia and in this plan completely conforms to requirements of the law on a personal data storage", - the deputy director general Croc Ruslan Zayedinov says.

Ruslan Zayedinov, Deputy CEO Croc

Rostelecom within the affiliate program of COSN Russia upgraded two cloud services – Virtual office and Virtual DPC then these services are available to users with the updated and advanced functionality. The service Virtual office is created on the basis of the latests version of software Microsoft Exchange 2013 and SharePoint 2013. The new functionality of a web communicator (Microsoft Lync 2013) which allows to create corporate chats, audio-and video conferences is added.

Rostelecom notes that to order service "Virtual DPC 2.0" and it became simpler to use it thanks to the updated management portal of Windows Azure Pack. The new portal allows to configure independently within the ordered pool of resources service options – parameters of databases, virtual networks and machines, including their sizes and the preconfigured roles for fast group deployment.

Softline said that within COSN stake on standard tasks of upgrade of infrastructure for 1C,SAP, Exchange and other popular IT systems. The Head of Department of cloud infrastructure of Softline company Leonid Anikin notes that if to speak about effect for clients of services according to the COSN program, it is possible to tell here that "services will be standardized, so - will purchase them more simply".

The Infobox company, first of all, is going to propose a COSN set of solutions, obligatory for participants: services for communications and joint work, cloud infrastructure based on Windows Azure Pack and Dynamics CRM. Ofis24 which is an analog of Office 365 and integrates mail, a corporate portal, web conferences and telephony in one solution became the first service which was offered by the company. Its main difference from Office 365 offered in Russia is integration with telephony, explain in Infobox. In September, 2015 the company is going to offer cloud infrastructure based on Windows Azure Pack.

The first DataLine service, participating in COSN, became the AzureLine service. According to statements of provider, he allows to create virtual machines of any necessary power and to quickly turn virtual machines with the preset system and application software, including web applications and databases. The architecture of service allows to place in it application servers and databases, test environments and zones of development, the high-loaded Internet services, IT infrastructure of large filial network \retail network, and many other things.

On the middle of 2015 in the AzureLine directory – more than 30 ready functional templates of virtual machines, and this list constantly is replenished, representatives of the company say.

"Electronic Moscow" brought IaaS service into trial operation and is going to expand a range at the expense of solutions SaaS.

In turn, the first Oblakoteki services of AzuRus and RusO 365 steel. In addition, in Oblakoteka several projects – analogs of Microsoft CRM Online are implemented. It is necessary all these services the company offers the option "Personal Data Protection — AaS".

Cost of services

Does not set recommended prices for services within COSN Microsoft, the cost of services is appointed by partner providers.

Speaking about pricing for services, the CEO of Oblakoteka Maxim Zakharenko explains that for each service there is the cost value including a share of the equipment, placement, software licenses of Microsoft on the SPLA models, support, etc. On the other hand, the company always considers the current prices and a price performance on Azure and Office 365 though there is a certain elasticity, he says.

Concerning the cost of services of DataLine within COSN the Deputy CEO of the company Alexey Sevastyanov tells that the customer pays the used resources – the processor power, RAM and disk space and, if necessary, additional services: administration of software, etc. At the same time two models of payment are available to users of AzureLine service: Allocation Pool (fixed cost of a pool) and Pay As You Go within which only actually consumed resources are paid.

Deputy CEO of DataLine Alexey Sevastyanov

If the client buys virtual capacities in Softline, then the price depends on the total number of the processor power (CPU), RAM and a disk (different types), Leonid Anikin, the Head of Department of cloud infrastructure of the company tells. If it is service (for example, mail) - that the number of users and parameters of boxes. Plus if the client needs the raised SLA (Service Level Agreement) on availability, then this factor will also influence the price.

Alexey Bakhtiarov, the CEO of Infobox, notes that in the conditions of the competition price level is determined not only by provider, but also the market. What the bigger customer base the provider has, especially he can offer profitable rates due to optimization of infrastructure and an opportunity to separate some fixed expenses into a large number of clients.

Users of COSN services

Speaking about that whom cloud services within Cloud OS Network Russia are expected, Microsoft notes that they are suitable for different segments of the market, and, selecting partners, the company tries to cover as much as possible customers. The service providers participating in the program work with different segments of the market, including a public sector.

The first clients

In Croc tell that since the beginning of start of the affiliate program and, respectively, from the moment of participation in it, not less than 10 requests from the different companies came to the company. First of all, it is large holdings, is more rare — SMB. The first requests within the program from partners and clients of Microsoft, turning-on both the representatives of SMB, and the large Russian and foreign companies, at the time of accession to the program are received also by Infobox.

As well as colleagues on the market, different in the scale and industry orientation of the company among users of services within COSN note existence in Softline: among them as the small organizations performing transfer of 1C in a cloud, and the large retail networks performing transfer of Exchange in a cloud of Softline.

For participation in COSN Microsoft selects the partners working both with the large companies, and with SMB

Electronic Moscow said that for June, 2015 in trial operation there is an IaaS service which suits a wide range of customers. For pilot implementation educational institutions for which informatization is a non-core activity were selected, but at the same time for the purposes of training IT services are actively used, tell in the company.

"To the state and municipal customers cloud services become interesting when the provider can provide not only computing cores and disk space, but also will be able to provide additional services. We have such experience", -Vasily Belov from Electronic Moscow says.

In turn, Maxim Zakharenko from Oblakoteka notes that his company provides services on the Microsoft platform more than two years therefore can not always separate "clients according to the program" from just clients.

Data security

Concerning the security level of services within COSN in Microsoft note that products were initially developed for them so that to provide the highest security level, "what it was proved by their use in private clouds in the large companies worldwide". Besides, partner providers of service use additional solutions for security of services.

Quality control

The Russian office Microsoft notes that their company controls process of deployment by partners of services within COSN at all stages and helps them with it. It is helped, including, at a design stage of the solution and selection of the most optimal equipment on which it will be based.

Involves the architects and consultants in process of the organization of partner services Microsoft, including, from other countries. It becomes in order that the services provided by them completely conformed to requirements of corporation for the level of reliability, security, performance and support.

"Within Cloud OS Network Russia we help partners to deploy cloud services based on their own DPCs and we give them our own practices and extensive examination received within the organization of cloud services worldwide", - Kirill Kotlyarenko notes. Besides, Microsoft aims at that SLA of the provided services stipulated availability level not lower than 99.9% and that services worked from the DPCs having certification of the Tier III level or which have no, but conform on quality to requirements of Tier III.

Material is prepared with assistance of the Russian representative office of Microsoft.

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