As a Cisco networking professional you probably thought you'd never see this happen but Cisco is to become a reseller of Microsoft's Windows Server 2008. Yup, Cisco is going to bundle Microsoft's upcoming OS with its WAN optimization gear for branch offices. Cisco says it will embed a virtualization component with its Wide-Area Application Services (WAAS) appliance to enable customers to host Microsoft's OS services within their existing branch networks.

Writing in Microsoft's Windows Server Division blog, Adam J. Skewgar, Microsoft group product manager, branch and storage solutions, says of the partnership: "IT can offer all of the performance and availability benefits of having base IT services in the branch office without the need for extra hardware. In fact, deployment is all centrally managed, entirely through software."

 The bundle will be available later this year.

More from Cisco Subnet:

* Cisco lawyer reveals himself as Patent Troll Tracker blogger amid 'threats'

* Cisco debuts hardware as a service (HAAS)

* CCNP Lab Part 2: How Badly Do You Need an L3 Switch?

* Cisco user has a Seinfeld flashback with a Cisco VPN client error message

* Could Cisco be prepping a big router announcement March 4?

* Cisco restructures around industry sectors

* How to configure port security on Cisco Catalyst switches

*20 useful sites for Cisco networking professionals

* Jeff Doyle reporting from NANOG

* Win a Nintendo Wii; win a copy of 'Router Security Strategies: Securing IP Network Traffic Planes ' book

Go to Cisco Subnetfor more Cisco news, blogs, discussion forums, security alerts, book giveaways, and more.

Recent Cisconet blog entries

Network World's IT Buyer's Guide: Cisco products

Subscribe to Network World's Cisco Alert, which includes a weekly digest of all Cisco Subnet items

Click to read the article this is in response to.