Microsoft on Monday unveiled Windows Azure, the cloud operating system previously code-named 'Red Dog'.
Windows Azure is part of a set of new and existing technologies behind the Azure Services Platform, a development and execution platform that runs end-user and corporate software on Microsoft's own servers, accessible over the web. It joins Google's App Engine and Amazon's EC2 in an increasingly competitive market.
Announcing Azure at Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles, the company's chief software architect, Ray Ozzie, said that the platform was a significant extension of Windows and is intended for applications designed to run at all scales, from mobile to the datacentre.
Ozzie said that the Azure Services Platform won't run on a company's own servers: "Rather, it's a service running on a vast number of machines housed in Microsoft's own datacentres." Microsoft will also use it as a delivery service, David Thompson, vice president of Microsoft Online, said during the keynote presentation. "All our enterprise software will be delivered as an online service, as an option," Thompson said.
However, Microsoft does not see the Azure Services Platform displacing more traditional software platforms. Most companies will want a mix of software that runs both on premises and in external datacentres, stressed Thompson, adding that the key is to be able to offer both options with no difference to the end user.
The four main components of the Azure Services Platform are: Windows Azure itself, providing a Windows-based environment for running applications and storing data on servers in Microsoft datacentres; .NET Services, linking the distributed infrastructure to applications; SQL Services, for database use; and Live Services, which links Microsoft's Live applications and provides data synchronisation, search and downloading, among other features.
Currently, applications for Azure can be developed using Microsoft's Visual Studio. The company promised support in the future for Eclipse, Python, Ruby and other open-source languages and tools. Windows Azure is currently available as a technology preview. Final pricing has not been revealed, but the company said it will be competitive.
CNET News.com's Ina Fried contributed to this article.
Talkback
Ok it is designed to help developer’s right not actually real people or business people. Again this is tech speak for we wont listen to what you want but we will take the advise of developers who just want to sell application. Vista being a point in fact developers could show off their skill but no one really wanted a system that handicapped their hardware nor do they want to have to ditch underpowered systems just because developers on their state of the art desktop multi core systems could understand and run with ease.
We are moving away from desktop systems to laptops that most business people have. Internet and connectivity is at best patchy on the move so how can you work on things you maybe able to access or maybe you are lugging around a useless piece of metal and plastic on the move for nothing.
Just consider this 90% of business become reliant on Microsoft’s cyber business model with information stored on Microsoft servers.
A lone hacker, and yes they have proven historically to be more than able to infiltrate the security despite every effort Microsofts best brains have yet come up with, plants a virus or worm that destroys their system…..
That would surely destroy many a business nay many an economy..
Even the new Windows 7 has a security patch for a system that is as yet not even released.
I think this will be the model that will filter down to everyone in the end if MS have their way Lets face it can we rely on a reliable connection that is fast enough to do what we can already locally on our own computers?
Perhaps big cities will spend the money on the infrastructure required but what of the rest of us.
Do I want all my business going through the internet?
Can I secure my data at least if I don’t like an app I can look else where and add my own security.
Judging by the comments I have had on the simple Live mail service no one asked for it and it is so unreliable I have changed to alternative service.
If MS ant even run a mail program efficiently how can they expect to have an OS that relies so heavily on the internet and remote services that will run lets face it all our interaction in business and through in to our homes.
I want to have control of my own data and the choice to choose my browser and my software.
Although this is a business platform MS in my opinion is moving to integrate this model in to your pc to maintain control of applications we use to quite rightly prevent piracy of their programs and operating systems.
Im sure compatibility with hardware and software in MS Vista was an attempt to have us move towards compatible software, which did indeed back fire. Or… was it just a totally misconceived OS that just had so many bugs that it annoyed people so much they took the retrograde step backwards and ditched in favor of XP or switched all together to OSX..
In either scenario how can you trust MS with so much responsibility..
A lot of people will, for the simple reason they always follow with out question let someone else do the thinking..
I think the concept is sound but in marketing I think Microsoft has in desperation always looked for new tech but not listened to people. For a concept like Cloud to succeed they should build up a trust base, after all this model is all about trust… and Microsoft dose not inspire trust in many ways for the simple reason they have not given the people what they want. A stable compatible OS that allows users to be productive and dose not cost the earth to implement. That builds products that compete fairly not just because they take away our choice.