HP is offering a Cloud Design Service to get customers using cloud IT faster.

HP services already has a Cloud Discovery Workshop and a Cloud Roadmap Service for customers who want to learn about cloud computing and develop a stragey and plan about how to move some or all of their IT into the cloud. It has added a new service to develop a customised cloud infrastructure design and an implementation plan for building it.

It's saying to customers that they can rely on HP because of its cloud experience, citing RACE, the Rapid Access Computing Environment, which is offered by DISA (Defense Information Systems Agency ) so that its users don't have to buy computing hardware, software and networking boxes and software. They get virtual IT resources from the cloud instead.

RACE was offered as a service for developers initially, but expanded in scope last year to offer production IT resources as well, costing about $1,200/month per server. Although HP is no Amazon, Google or Microsoft, with its Azure service, it's hoping that its RACE credentials are solid enough to persuade customers to sign up and follow the HP cloud way.

Potential customers are assured they will get to the cloud faster and with less risk by being guided by HP. The Cloud Design Service uses an HP Reference Architecture for the Cloud which is guided by ITIL best practices.

HP says its new service will help customers develop a solid internal business case for getting to the cloud, one that will help the chief finance officer sign off the cash needed faster. ®