Cisco and Microsoft formed a partnership meant to attach Windows Server 8 Hyper-V users to the former’s virtual switching technology.  Previously, customers had to use a Microsoft virtual switch to connect to Cisco’s hardware, which resulted in less network transparency and overall costs.  Now, Windows Server 8 is integrated with Cisco’s hardware on the hypervisor level, just like its competitors offering – VMware.

“Windows Server 8 Hyper-V integration, Microsoft’s virtualization will be on par with VMware in the Cisco environment. Cisco environments will be manageable with Microsoft’s System Center Virtual Machine Manager.”

Windows Server 2008  will also be integrated into the Cisco Nexus 1000V distributed virtual switch, and the Cisco Virtual Machine Fabric Extender (VM-FEX). This all adds up to offer customers better support, and more efficiency as well as manageability when it comes to running high performance virtual machines and live networks.

This team-up is good for both Cisco and Microsoft, though it may put a little pressure on the former’s agreement with VMware, which also integrated its hypervisor with Cisco gear.  Further, the EMC virtualization subsidiary also contributed a great deal to the Unified Computing System, so there are a few question marks floating around this latest bit of news.

The team-up with Microsoft ties in with Cisco’s restructuring.  While this also included the layoff of about 10 percent of the company’s total workforce and a number of other cost cutting measures, the networking giant hopes to get back on its feet by accelerating its growth strategy, and partnerships will play a major role in that.

Just last week Andrew Sage, VP of worldwide Partner Led said it will invest a massive $75 million into its SMB partner program by the end of 2012.  Cisco is following the same approach many other tech companies have been taking to expand.