Microsoft has announced the Cloud OS Network, a global group of over 25 cloud service providers who will deliver services on the Microsoft cloud platform.

The providers include the likes of CGI, Dimension Data and NTTX, and is a concerted play from Microsoft to enable more usage of its Windows Azure infrastructure as a service (IaaS) offering.

“This announcement represents important progress against our goals and strategy for Cloud OS,” Takeshi Numoto, Microsoft cloud and enterprise marketing corporate VP thundered in a blog post, adding: “More importantly, it is great news for enterprise customers across the globe.”

The partnering companies cover all four corners of the globe, from Capita in the UK to SingTel in Singapore and Revera in New Zealand, operating overall in more than 90 countries, with 425 data centres and over three million customers.

The news also promotes Microsoft’s vision of hybrid cloud being the future …