Infosys, Gen-i to launch hybrid Microsoft SaaS

Infosys and Telecom NZ subsidiary Gen-i will jointly launch a new trans-Tasman cloud service within the next three months in a bid to sell Microsoft software as a service for clients concerned with data sovereignty.

The two integrators will host private cloud deployments of Microsoft's Business Productivity Suite — including Exchange, Sharepoint and Lync — in New Zealand and Australia, while offering a hybrid service that mixes in Microsoft's Office 365, served out of existing public infrastructure from Singapore and elsewhere.

A spokesman for Gen-i said the integrator would host the private cloud elements of the solution within the company’s existing data centre facilities in New Zealand. Gen-i runs 14 data centres across New Zealand, co-located in Telecom New Zealand’s telephone exchanges.

It is still determining a hosting location in Australia.

A management overlay would be provided to clients allowing access to manage data on both private and public deployments.

The spokesman said the service offering would be finalised “within three months” but declined to provide any further details or pricing.

Both Infosys and Gen-i would work to integrate the software as a service with existing in-house infrastructure, including negotiating service level agreements to systems integration, application development and IT strategy.

An Infosys spokeswomman declined to name any clients currently in negotiations.

Microsoft New Zealand’s channel lead Puneet Batra told iTnews the software giant expected several government and business customers to take up the offer, due to ongoing concerns of data sovereignty.

Microsoft's public Office 365 software as a service is currently resold in Australia by Telstra but continues to be hosted out of the software giant's Singapore data centre.