Vodafone hooking customers to Microsoft online services

Stephen Withers
Friday, 27 February 2009 03:36

IT Industry - Market

Vodafone is set to offer its business customers a range of hosted services that will be provided by Microsoft.

Vodafone has announced it will offer a range of Microsoft hosted services as part of a comprehensive communications and collaboration offering to business customers.

In addition to fixed and mobile communications services and equipment, various IT services will be provided on a subscription basis including Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Office Communications Online and Office Live Meeting.

Together, these services provide email, calendars, portals, collaboration, instant messaging and conferencing.

Customer support will be handled by Vodafone, with Microsoft running the services in its data centres.

"Vodafone has had an explicit strategy to really accelerate our position in the enterprise market," said Tom Craig, global business services director, Vodafone Group.

But the SME and SOHO markets are under-served, and since Vodafone already provides one-third of these businesses with mobile voice services, "that represents a great opportunity for us to accelerate our position with those businesses... to become the virtual IT manager of CIO for the small business," he said.

Where and when will the bundle be offered? Please read on.