HP and Microsoft are trying to make it easier for customers to move applications to the cloud, Guida said. HP already offers VirtualSystem products built with VMware's virtualization technology.

VirtualSystem for Microsoft will be available in November priced from about US$175,500. It will be offered in two models -- the VS1, for companies that want to host about 750 virtual machines, and the VS2, for companies hosting about 2,500 virtual machines. The prices don't include Microsoft's application licenses.

The VS1 can be configured with up to eight HP ProLiant DL380 G7 servers, 1G-bit and 10G-bit Ethernet connections, and a P4500 LeftHand SAN (storage area network) that scales from 14TB to 57TB. The VS2 can have up to 12 HP ProLiant BL460c G7 servers, multiple network and storage connectivity modules, and P4800 LeftHand SAN that can expand to 84TB.

HP also launched VirtualSystem for Superdome 2, for companies such as financial institutions that use HP's high-uptime Superdome servers. These systems typically run on Intel's Itanium processor and HP's HP-UX operating system.

High-end servers often need high levels of customization, but the factory configuration provides a way to bring newer HP technologies, such as its 3Par storage, into a virtualized system, Carlat said. HP didn't provide pricing for the VirtualSystem for Superdome 2.