OpenText has started a Business Process Solutions (BPS) Group which will offer new solutions for Windows Azure.

Now users will be given options on how OpenText apps are deployed, with choices of being just in the cloud, on-premise, or a mixture of on-premise and the cloud.

The new agreement between the companies will last for about four years and received praise from both firms. "We are excited to see Windows Azure incorporated into OpenText's Business Process Solutions," Walid Abu-Hadba (News - Alert), corporate vice president, developer and platform evangelism, Microsoft Corp, said in a statement from OpenText.

"Together, Microsoft (News - Alert) and OpenText are committed to helping businesses drive process efficiency and scalable service solutions. This announcement underscores the shared commitment of Microsoft and OpenText to the continuing innovation that the cloud has to offer."

Some three years ago, OpenText first offered support for Windows Azure with records management and archiving, according to the company. In the new effort, OpenText and Microsoft will develop applications for financial services, utilities, oil and gas, and the public sector, the companies said.

"This is another example of how OpenText and Microsoft are continuously tightening and strengthening our relationship for the benefit of our joint customers," James Latham, chief marketing officer for OpenText, said in the press release. "The Windows Azure cloud opens up a number of interesting new application possibilities while also giving customers more deployment options that will lead to greater efficiency, simplified deployments and lower operating costs."

In other company news, OpenText has enhanced OpenText Web and Social Analytics with the release of version 2.0. The offering helps with reports on marketing. The new version also follows activity on the Web such as on Facebook (News - Alert) or Twitter, according to an OpenText press release.

Recently, OpenText announced finalists in the 2011 GlobalStar Enterprise Awards, according to a report from TMCnet. One finalist was NASDAQ OMX, which used OpenText BPS to improve data quality and efficiency. Another finalist was Channel 4 Television. OpenText BPS improved its transparency, strengthened the brand and lessened overall frustration. And the third finalist was PSCU Financial Services. It improved customer service and decreased the number of phone calls and faxes to improve customer service.

Overall, OpenText has 100 million users in 114 countries. OpenText has solutions for archives, business process management, case management, document capture, faxing, governance, and records management, the company said. OpenText has won several partner awards from Microsoft such as the 2011 ISV/Software Industry Partner of the Year. Open Text is also a Microsoft Gold Certified partner.

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