Microsoft had launched Windows Azure, a cloud services Operating System that helps Web Developers, Corporate Developers, ISVs and Systems Integrators to build new applications in the Cloud. Azure will be rolled out along with Microsoft Windows 7. The Azure Services Platform is hosted in Microsoft data centers and provides an operating system and a set of developer services. It is an open architecture, so it gives developers the choice of building web applications, applications running on connected devices, servers, PC’s or hybrid solutions offering the best of online and on-premises.

Developers can quickly create applications running in the cloud by using their existing skills with the Microsoft Visual Studio development environment and the Microsoft .NET Framework. This will make the application development very easy for the developers. Azure provides an open, standards-based and interoperable environment with support for multiple internet protocols, including HTTP, SOAP, REST and XML.

Microsoft Azure