Fujitsu unveils Productivity Suite rival to Microsoft Office 365

Fujitsu has launched a cloud-based productivity suite offering Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint and Lync, but with the option of private cloud deployment for organisations concerned about control and security.

The Fujitsu Productivity Suite is a tailored cloud solution delivering messaging, unified communication and collaboration capabilities, but customers can choose how these applications are delivered, Fujitsu said.

Delivered in partnership with Microsoft, the suite provides the functionality of Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint and Lync, making it broadly similar in approach to Microsoft's own Office 365 cloud-based suite.

However, Fujitsu Productivity Suite can be delivered as a private cloud service hosted in a Fujitsu datacentre or the customer's own premises, or as a public cloud service with common components shared with other clients.

A third option is a hybrid cloud based on a combination of the Microsoft Office 365 public cloud service for some workers and a private cloud option for others.

"Our customers increasingly demand a flexible approach to cloud adoption, to have cloud on their terms," said Tina Quenault, director of cloud services for Fujitsu UK and Ireland.

"There is no one-size-fits-all solution for moving to the cloud because different organisations and different parts of a business need to be treated differently."

Fujitsu claimed that customers will benefit from a service which is based and managed in the UK and tailored to meet their specific requirements.

This includes security, as the service can be accredited by the government's Communications Electronics Security Group for compliance with specific security policies.

This may make the Productivity Suite more attractive to customers with strict regulatory needs. Experts warned during the recent V3 Cloud Summit that the US Patriot Act in particular is stifling the growth of cloud services among UK and European companies.

Pricing for the Fujitsu Productivity Suite will depend on the specific customer implementation, the firm said.