Microsoft Cloud: Windows Azure reaches General Availability

Today Microsoft announces general Availability of Windows Azure platform.

Windows Azure is a new cloud computing services platform from Microsoft designed to host web services and applications in Microsoft-owned, Internet-accessible data centers.

Here goes the official definition..:)

Introducing Windows Azure—an Internet-scale cloud services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers, which provides a platform and a set of services that can be used individually or together. Windows Azure’s flexible and interoperable platform is used to build new applications
to run from the cloud or enhance existing applications with cloud-based capabilities. Windows Azure simplifies maintaining and operating applications by providing on-demand compute capabilities and storage to host, scale and manage web services and connected applications.

Windows Azure provides a platform and a set of services that can be used individually or together. It is a flexible and interoperable platform used to build new applications to run from the cloud or enhance existing applications with cloud-based capabilities.

Windows Azure comprises of following components:

• Windows Azure: operating system as an online service.
• Microsoft SQL Azure: fully relational cloud database solution.
• Windows Azure platform AppFabric: makes it simpler to connect cloud services and on-premises applications

Here is how a Windows Azure architecture looks like:

Billing for following countries starts today:

• Austria  • Belgium • Canada • Denmark • Finland • France • Germany • Ireland • India

• Italy • Japan • Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • Portugal • Singapore • Spain  • Sweden

• Switzerland • UK • United States

Other billing locations will come up very soon.

I know there is lot of curiosity to understand this new platform and how you can develop applications for Azure, Please have a look at the following Windows Azure Demo.

Also download the latest Windows Azure training kit from here which has complete set of technical documentation that you would need to learn about Windows Azure

Customers can visit www.windowsazure.com to sign up to start building and deploying cloud applications today on the Windows Azure platform.

I am not a Windows Azure specialist as of now but i would be really interested in this platform as its going to be revolutionary.. let me know what you think?

Cheers.. :)