tl;dr: Dell and Microsoft are uniting Azure Local with Dell Private Cloud and PowerStore to simplify hybrid cloud, offering flexibility, performance, and enterprise-grade storage. This collaboration promises innovation and future-ready infrastructure, with early access launching in spring 2026.
The conversation around enterprise IT is changing. It’s no longer about choosing between public cloud and on-premises infrastructure. Nor is it a simple decision between running traditional or modern workloads. Today, the real challenge is how to manage all of these different environments and application types together, simply and consistently. This need for a unified strategy that bridges the gap between diverse IT assets is what drives progress forward.
This shift is driving demand for Microsoft Azure Local, as organizations look for solutions that seamlessly integrate across their IT estate. At Dell Technologies, our collaboration with Microsoft is delivering exactly that. From co-developed appliances to high-performance external storage, we’ve been at the forefront of helping customers achieve consistency, flexibility, and performance with Azure Local.
As the next step in this journey, we’re excited to announce that we will be introducing Azure Local support for Dell Private Cloud and Dell PowerStore.
More flexibility, more choice for your Hybrid Cloud
We started this journey with the AX System for Azure Local, a proven co-engineered appliance that delivers consistency and simplicity for hybrid cloud environments. We then expanded with the AX System for Azure Local with PowerFlex, the first Premier Solution supporting external storage, offering customers the same consistency, along with improved performance and independent scaling.
Now, we’re taking the next step with Dell Private Cloud and PowerStore, expanding support for Azure Local to deliver even greater flexibility, performance, and simplicity.
Dell Private Cloud: Simplifying the complex
Dell Private Cloud is the first Azure Local offering provide a full-stack solution across compute, external storage, and networking, delivered from a single vendor, with end-to-end solution-level support included. By providing a fully integrated, automated solution, Dell Private Cloud simplifies the management of hybrid and multicloud environments, allowing businesses to focus on innovation instead of infrastructure.
With Dell Private Cloud, customers gain:
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- Automated Lifecycle Management: Streamline operations with end-to-end automation, reducing complexity and freeing up IT resources.
- Independent Scaling: Scale compute and storage independently to optimize resources and reduce costs.
- Future-Ready Infrastructure: A disaggregated approach ensures businesses can adapt to new challenges and opportunities without disruption.
This combination of Dell Private Cloud and Dell PowerStore delivers the simplicity, flexibility, and performance customers need to manage both traditional and modern workloads across their IT estate.
PowerStore: Enterprise-grade storage for Azure Local
Dell PowerStore is our flagship enterprise all-flash storage platform, designed to deliver high performance, scalability, and efficiency for modern IT environments. With Azure Local, PowerStore provides:
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- Flexible Scalability: Scale performance and storage independently to meet changing business needs.
- Advanced Data Efficiency: Always-on data reduction lowers storage costs without impacting performance, backed by the industry’s best 5:1 DRR guarantee.¹
- Enterprise-Grade Resilience: Built-in data protection and security features ensure critical workloads remain secure and available.
PowerStore’s ability to handle both traditional and modern workloads makes it the perfect complement to Azure Local, enabling businesses to modernize their IT environments without compromise.
“Microsoft and Dell Technologies share a vision of empowering businesses to achieve more through innovation and collaboration. By bringing Microsoft Azure Local to Dell Private Cloud and PowerStore, we’re helping customers simplify their IT operations and unlock the full potential of their hybrid cloud strategies.”-Dean Paron, Vice President of Product Management, Azure Edge Infrastructure at Microsoft
A collaboration built for the future
The integration of Azure Local with Dell Private Cloud and Dell PowerStore is more than just a technical milestone—it’s a reflection of our commitment to helping customers navigate the complexities of modern IT. Together with Microsoft, we’re delivering solutions that address the evolving needs of businesses, from hybrid cloud to edge computing to disconnected environments.
Learn more
Integration of Azure Local with Dell Private Cloud and Dell PowerStore is expected to enter early access in spring 2026. To learn more about how Dell and Microsoft are transforming private cloud for businesses like yours, explore Dell Private Cloud solutions or contact your Dell representative today.
1Based on Dell analysis comparing primary storage data reduction guarantees vs Dell’s Storage Data Reduction program – May 2024.
