<p>The hybrid cloud is the talk of the industry for 2014, and a hybrid cloud for SharePoint / Office 365 is no exception. But not everyone is going hybrid, at least not permanently.</p><p>Back in 2010, Steve Ballmer said that Microsoft was fully committed to the cloud, saying "the cloud creates opportunities and responsibilities." And it has proved this with the continual development of Office 365 and other cloud based services. Ballmer's view was echoed in a recent interview we did with Mark Kashman, Microsoft senior product manager. In that interview he said:</p><p>With cloud as the basis for services, we could realize our vision for providing our customers with a consistent experience, keep pace with innovation (ours and our customer's) Today, the technology that empowers our customers has to be mobile, social, and flexible always connected and available anywhere. Our customers are dealing with these technology megatrends that are transforming how business is done today both externally and internally and cloud is a key enabler of how these trends help them reimagine their businesses."The Rise of the Hybrid Cloud</p><p>The focus has not only been the public cloud, but also the hybrid cloud, which combines public cloud services (like Office 365) and applications / storage located in a private cloud. According to Gartner, it's this hybrid cloud model that will really find its wings in 2014.</p><p><a href="http://www.cmswire.com/cms/information-management/hybrid-clouds-for-sharepoint-great-but-not-for-everyone-024010.php">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-gives-access-store-apps-the-general-availability-green-light-7000025891/">Microsoft gives Access Store apps the general-availability green light</a> (ZDNet)</p><p><a href="http://www.winbeta.org/news/microsoft-rolls-out-final-version-access-apps-office-365-customers">Microsoft rolls out final version of Access apps for Office 365 customers</a> (WinBeta)</p><p><a href="http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2014/02/03/microsoft-announces-general-availability-access-apps-office-365/">Microsoft Announces General Availability of Access Apps in Office 365</a> (The Next Web)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=ddwOZ_mTYwu1ISM0TTV5v7shxV9qM&authuser=0&ned=us">5 additional articles.</a></p>