VAR500: Accenture's Azure Solution; New CTO At BEAR Data

VAR500 Solution Providers In The News

North America's largest revenue-generating integrators are annually ranked on CRN's VAR500 list. This year, to reflect the ever-evolving nature of the value-added reseller's job, the listing will be renamed the Solution Provider 500. (Apply now.)

Teamwork is the theme of this week's news roundup. Microsoft and Accenture get together for cloud computing, while Cognizant and Savvis team up on business transformation solutions. Other headlines this week highlight happenings at BEAR Data, Glasshouse Technologies and SHI International.

Accenture, Microsoft In The Cloud On Azure

Accenture and Microsoft will work together to provide clients with an end-to-end public cloud solution on the Windows Azure platform. According to Accenture, this is the first time clients can contract for design, delivery and ongoing management services of applications hosted in the cloud on Windows Azure from a single global technology services provider. Avanade, a provider of business technology solutions and managed services that is majority-owned by Accenture, will also be a part of the agreement. Accenture and Avanade clients will be able to sign one contract for the delivery and running of cloud services on Windows Azure, and get one-stop provisioning and monitoring via Accenture.

New CTO At BEAR

Mark H. McGourty has taken over as chief financial officer for $112 million solution provider BEAR Data Solutions. McGourty has more than 25 years experience in IT, with extensive expertise with start-ups and in cloud computing. Most recently, he served as chief executive officer and chief financial officer with Eightfold Logic, an early-stage Software as a Service (SaaS) provider of inbound marketing applications. Previously, McGourty was an advisor to and chief financial officer for The DealMap, an aggregator of daily deal data that provided select deal data based on geographical location. That company was sold to Google in July 2011.

Gov. Rick Perry Welcomes CGI Group

Former presidential contender Gov. Rick Perry joined George Schindler, president of the CGI Group's U.S. operations, and broke ground on a 40,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art Onshore IT Services Delivery Center in Belton, Texas, this week. CGI's Belton Onshore IT Services Delivery Center will create 350 new jobs, with a target of up to 400 new jobs, and generate an estimated $61 million of annual economic impact within the first five years of operation.

SHI: A Great Place To Work

Strong leadership and growth opportunities make SHI one of the best places to work in the United States, according to two recent rankings. The solution provider's two largest corporate offices, in New Jersey and Texas, were both cited in two recent surveys. SHI International was recognized by NJBIZ as one of the 2012 Best Places to Work in New Jersey, and also by the Austin American Statesman in the midsize company category.

Cognizant, Savvis Team Up

Cognizant will combine Savvis' data center and cloud services with its remote infrastructure management, application, consulting and business process services to help clients accelerate business transformation, and improve cost and operational efficiencies. Cognizant will use a combination of data center services and a private version of Savvis' enterprise-class cloud computing solution, Symphony Virtual Private Data Center.

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