Windows Azure Reaches General Availability Milestone
Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, Windows Azure, made its debut a couple of years ago, at the 2008 Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles. At the time, Chief Software Architect with Microsoft, Ray Ozzie, presented Windows Azure as “a new Windows offering at the Web tier of computing” and a "significant extension of the Windows computing platform.”
As the development process of Windows Azure went on, the development team announced this summer that the in-the-cloud OS would be released at the 2009 PDC (but that deadline was never met). The operating system would be offered through a consumption-based pricing model , allowing partners and customers to pay only for the services that they consume. Initially Windows Azure would be marketed in 21 countries, with 16 additional countries to follow further down the road.
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That’s the Windows Azure story so far. There is one more chapter to add to that story. As of yesterday, the 1st of February 2010, Windows Azure has reached the GA (General Availability) milestone in its development process.
“[February 1] marks a significant milestone. We are announcing the general availability of Windows Azure and SQL Azure in 21 countries. Starting [February 1] customers and partners across the globe will be able to launch their Windows Azure and SQL Azure production applications and services with the support of the full Service Level Agreements (SLAs). We’re hearing great feedback from those who are developing and deploying applications and services across the Windows Azure platform,” announced Doug Hauger, General Manager, Windows Azure, Business and Marketing.
The 21 countries Doug Hauger mentioned above are: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, and the United States.
If you already have a Community Technology Preview (CTP) account for the Windows Azure platform, you need to upgrade your account – more details here.
Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, 