Microsoft has signed deal with six major producers of computer hardware and IT services, namely Dell, Fujitsu, Hitachi, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and NEC in order to create platforms for private IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service)-styled clouds.

The program is named Hyper-V Cloud Fast Track and it consists of a software allowing ‘multiple operating systems to run on a single physical server’. The program is aimed at reducing time consumed with projects  in terms of months, reducing risk and increasing ‘conference in switching on a private cloud’, according to David McCann, Microsoft’s  general manager of product management.

Apart from the launch of the Hyper-V Cloud Fast Track program, Microsoft has been very anxious to take back its public influence over the could industry, the company also offering now hosting providers that are capable of providing Hyper-V-based cloud services. Up to the moment, there are over 70 accredited providers by Microsoft.

Derrick Harris, an analyst with IT analysis firm GigaOm stated that “its biggest competition in hypervisor-based clouds is VMware, which has done a great job marketing its myriad virtualization products as cloud software. Considering VMware’s significant leads in market and mind share, Microsoft needs to help users make the Hyper-V-is-cloud-computing connection if it wants to close the gap.”

The announcements were made public by Microsoft on the occasion of the TechEd Europe conference, that was held this week in Berlin.