Microsoft launches Windows Azure platform 18 November, 2009 By Mark Cox

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"Customers want choice and flexibility in how they develop and deploy applications," Ozzie said. "We're moving into an era of solutions that are experienced by users across PC's, phones and the web, and that are delivered from data centers we refer to as 'private clouds' and 'public clouds'. Built specifically for this era of cloud computing, the Windows Azure and SQL Azure platforms will give developers what they need to build great applications and profitable businesses."

In his keynote, Ozzie described the company's "three screens and a cloud" vision, where software experiences are seamlessly delivered across PCs, phones, and TVs, all connected by cloud-based services. Underscoring the IT industry's transformational shift towards a hybrid approach of online services combined with on-premises software, Ozzie described the programming model for a powerful new generation of applications for both businesses and consumers, enabled by new Microsoft development tools and technologies. He also demonstrated customer and partner commitment to Microsoft's development platform with Seesmic, WordPress, and Cheezburger Network.

Ozzie also unveiled the next evolution of Microsoft Pinpoint, an online marketplace for Microsoft partners to market and sell their applications. Also available through PinPoint, the company introduced a new information and brokerage service, codenamed "Dallas", built completely on the Windows Azure platform that enables developers and users to access premium commercial and reference data sets and content on any platform. Datasets current available through "Dallas" include those from the Associated Press, Citysearch, ESRI, NAVTEQ, DATA.gov, First American, infoUSA, NASA, National Geographic Topo!, RiskMetrics Group, the United Nations, WaveMarket, Weather Central, and more. Starting today, "Dallas" is currently available as a limited Community Technology Preview.

Bob Muglia, President of Microsoft's Server and Tools Business, then detailed the company's strategy and roadmap for extending the Windows developer platform and programming model to the cloud, enabling developers to continue using familiar .NET Framework and Visual Studio tools and technologies, as well as third party tools such as Eclipse, to create and monetize applications that run on the server and as services in the cloud. "Microsoft is converging on a common developer platform for both servers and services," Muglia said. "In the future, developers' skills, tools, and technology investments will span the private cloud and the public cloud."

As part of these key investment areas, Microsoft is delivering Windows Server AppFabric Beta 1, a set of integrated, higher-level on-premises application services that enable developers to more easily deploy and manage applications spanning both server and cloud. The AppFabric technology combines the hosting and caching technologies (formerly known as Microsoft codename "Dublin" and Microsoft codename "Velocity") with the Windows Azure platform's Windows Azure AppFabric Service Bus and Windows Azure AppFabric Access (formerly referred to as .NET Services). Together, these technologies deliver a consistent set of application services to enhance both Windows Server and Windows Azure with a common, scalable foundation for running .NET applications. Windows Server AppFabric Beta 1 is available for download today at http://msdn.microsoft.com/AppFabric with availability in 2010. Windows Azure platform AppFabric will debut in Community Technology Preview in 2010.

Muglia also announced the company's plan to offer Windows Server virtual machine support on Windows Azure, enabling customers to more easily move their existing applications across the continuum of on premises and cloud computing, and the RTM of Windows Identity Foundation, enabling developers to provide more secure, simplified user access to both cloud and on-premises applications with open, identity-based claims.

In addition, Muglia announced the new release of ASP.NET MVC beta 2, a free, fully-supported framework that enables developers to rapidly build standards-based Web applications through rich AJAX integration and enhanced extensibility. ASP.NET MVC beta 2 is available today on www.asp.net/mvc .