Avanade, the global enterprise IT services company started by Accenture and Microsoft in 2000 to focus on Microsoft widgetry, has acquired the software written by a young 15-month-old SaaS operations start-up by the name of Opstera that helps manage cloud solutions, the underlying platform and dependent cloud services.

The price it paid is unknown.

The pair has reportedly been working together on a public cloud management service for Azure. The technology provides application monitoring and management of Windows Azure apps.

The start-up said in a FAQ that "There is a strong need in the enterprise for comprehensive managed services that can guarantee a high level of availability and operational efficiency of the infrastructure similar to what they are used for on-premises solutions. Opstera software will be an addition to an already strong portfolio focused on cloud managed services."

Opstera's co-founders, Paddy Srinivasan and Ranjith Ramakrishnan, are joining Avanade "to further the execution of its managed cloud services strategy."

Avanade bought Azaleos last year as the basis of a private cloud management service. It said it will blend Opstera technology into its existing portfolio of cloud managed services so customers can chose private, public or hybrid clouds.

Opstera's management software is supposed to drive visibility for business-critical cloud applications. Technical metrics include performance metrics, capacity indicators, Quality of Service and SLA thresholds.

Business metrics for SaaS businesses that Opstera tracks include customer lifetime value, customer acquisition cost and committed monthly runrate.