Microsoft is aiming to extend its cloud reach with its new Cloud OS network. The software giant now has 25 global partners that will offer cloud-based services that are effectively compatible with the company's Windows Azure along with Windows Server and System Center. The new network will allow organizations to create what Microsoft called hybrid clouds by extending their Windows Server datacenters to any provider on Microsoft's Cloud OS Network, or on Windows Azure.

Cloud OS Network builds on Microsoft's efforts to transition its Windows Enterprise OS offering into a cloud-based foundation. Back in 2012 during the launch of Windows Server 2012, Microsoft dubbed it as a "Cloud OS." We are now witnessing the meaning behind the term.

Microsoft followed up in early 2013 with the announcements of additional components to build out its Cloud OS vision. These new components are called System Center 2012 Service Pack 1, Windows Azure services for Windows Server, and Windows Intune. "At the highest level, the Cloud OS does what a traditional operating system does manage applications and hardware but at the scope and scale of cloud computing," said Michael Park, Microsoft corporate vice president of Server and Tools Marketing in a blog post.

The basis of Cloud OS is formed by Windows Server and Windows Azure, which is "complemented by the full breadth of our technology solutions, such as SQL Server, System Center and Visual Studio," according to Park. He went on to add that "the Cloud OS provides a consistent platform across customer data centers, service-provider data centers and the Microsoft public cloud."

Microsoft's Cloud OS partner companies include Capgemini, CGI, Fujitsu Ltd., iWeb, Lenovo, Outsourcery, SingTel, and Triple C Cloud Computing, among many others.

At the moment, Microsoft's Cloud OS will be offered in 90 markets to over 3 million customers. It will run from 425 datacenters and will be used to manage over 2.4 million servers.

"This announcement represents important progress against our goals and strategy for Cloud OS," said Microsoft's Takeshi Numoto, corporate vice president of Cloud and Enterprise Marketing. "Here at Microsoft, we think we're the best bet for customers because we alone provide a consistent, enterprise-grade platform that is hybrid by design, and one that is based on our experience delivering more than 200 cloud services to billions of people," Numoto added.