Capgemini now championing Microsoft BPOS over Goo

Microsoft hasn;t done a entire good deal nowadays, the opening day with the Google I/O conference, to try to throw cold h2o on Google;s message that it really is severe about finding enterprises in to the cloud.Nonetheless, there was one interesting counter-announcement from your Redmondians on Might 19. Microsoft announced that techniques integrator and consultancy Capgemini is generating a main dedication to Microsoft;s Enterprise Productivity Via the internet Suite (BPOS). BPOS is a bundle of Microsoft-hosted and -managed applications, such as Exchange Over the internet, SharePoint Internet, Workplace Communications On the net and Live Meeting.What tends to make these days;s BPOS announcement more intriguing is Capgemini arrived out of the gate back in 2007 being a key backer of Google Apps Premier Edition (GAPE). The September 10 announcement riled Microsoft so a lot that organization officials unintentionally e-mailed me a talking factors document that attempted to head off any positive press the Capgemini announcement may well have garnered for Google.Capgemini still has a Google Apps offering/practice. I asked regardless of whether the integrator planned on abandonning it and was advised no. But Capgemini is definitely downplaying its Google Apps services. Check out this statement from Don Jones, Capgemini;s Vice President of ITS Partnerships, that I received when I asked about the corporation;s new-found BPOS enjoy:“We believe BPOS will be the perfect solution for the vast majority of our clients. Then again, clients value our independence and know that, because we are not owned or managed by any software or hardware supplier, we will deliver the absolute right solution to meet our clients’ company needs every time.”Microsoft announced on May 19 that Capgemini has promised to train much more than 1,000 people on BPOS and is developing a set of tools to help customers migrate to BPOS more easily from Lotus Notes or other platforms. Capgemini has committed to “actively promote BPOS within its global client base,” as well.Capgemini isn;t the only former Google Apps/Docs poster child to do an about-face this week. Serena Software, which made a considerable (and vociferous) commitment to Google Docs a couple of years ago, has decided to dump Google;s offering for Microsoft;s BPOS. Microsoft officials say Serena made the switch to save money; an eWEEK report claims that Microsoft cut Serena a deal that was “too very good to pass up.”I wonder how a lot of a deal/discount Microsoft is willing to offer to accrue additional “switcher” stories like Serena….