Cisco and EMC announced this week that they are collaborating to provide private cloud computing services. The new partnership includes Cisco, EMC, VMware, and Intel, and will develop virtual products, while Cisco and EMC will partner under a venture called Acadia to train customers on how to install the products. The new venture will have its own CEO and initially have a staff of approximately 130 people.

This new venture is a big win for organizations looking to move into cloud computing. However, it may have a negative effect on Cisco and EMC. This puts them in direct competition will major vendors like HP, IBM and Dell. Cisco and Dell each have relationships with these vendors.

What I found interesting is that EMC and AT&T announced earlier this year that they would be collaborating to bring a joint cloud computing solution. AT&T would offer its Synaptic Storage as a Service and EMC would offer its Atmos Online Service, the build-your-own storage model.

Last month, IT Business Edge's Michael Vizard reported that Avanade, an IT services company, conducted a survey in which 56 percent of respondents reported that they viewed cloud computing as strategic and maturing rapidly as a technology.

The takeaway here is that more and more companies are moving to the cloud, and they're benefitting from improved products from several sources. We need more major players like Cisco and EMC to partner to develop the same solid services they have always delivered, but in a cloud model. I have no doubt that there will be many more deals like the Cisco and EMC joint venture.