Microsoft is acquiring Cloud-integrated Storage (CiS) solutions provider StorSimple. Microsoft says the pick-up will advance its Cloud OS vision and help customers embrace hybrid cloud computing more efficiently.

“Customers faced with explosive growth in data are looking to the cloud to help them store, manage and archive that data. But, to be effective, cloud storage needs to integrate with IT’s current investments,” said Michael Park, corporate vice president, Server and Tools Division for Microsoft. “StorSimple’s approach helps customers seamlessly integrate on-premises storage with cloud storage through intelligent automation and management.”

Park spoke further about the announcement on the Windows Azure blog, where he notes, “CiS is a rapidly emerging category of storage solutions that consolidate the management of primary data, backup disaster recovery and archival data, and deliver seamless integration between on premise and cloud environments. This seamless integration and orchestration enables new levels of speed, simplicity and reliability for backup and disaster recovery (DR) while reducing costs for both primary data and data protection.”

“You may have heard us talk about the ‘Cloud OS’ over the last few months – the Cloud OS is our vision to deliver a consistent, intelligent and automated platform of compute, network and storage across a company’s datacenter, a service provider’s datacenter and the Windows Azure public cloud,” he notes. “With Windows Server 2012 and Windows Azure at its core, and System Center 2012 providing automation, orchestration and management capabilities, the Cloud OS helps customers transform their data centers for the future.”

StorSimple CEO had this to say about the news: “Most StorSimple customers are mainstream IT organizations that have chosen Windows Azure as their primary cloud. We are excited to continue to work with Microsoft and bring the combined benefits of StorSimple and Windows Azure to customers around the world.”

Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.