HP, Microsoft announce joint efforts on cloud computing

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Microsoft on Wednesday announced a three-year agreement to jointly invest 250 million U.S. dollars to advance cloud computing and simplify technology environments for businesses of all sizes.

The world's largest personal computer maker and No. 1 software provider said they will collaborate in designing the industry's most integrated technology "stack" of data center hardware, software management tools and other applications.

The two technology giants will team up on Windows Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, with HP and Microsoft offering services and Microsoft continuing to invest in HP hardware for the platform.

"This collaboration will allow HP and Microsoft to offer our customers transformative technology that will reduce costs, generate business growth and accelerate innovation," Mark Hurd, the chief executive officer (CEO) of HP, said in a statement.

"This agreement, which spans hardware, software and services, will enable business customers to optimize performance with push-button simplicity at the lowest-possible total cost of ownership," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.