Windows cloud called Azure

This is truly Amazing...

Amazon's Webservice Platform API's
Google App Engine
Facebook's API
& Now Microsoft's Azure

May the most innovative win.

There's no shortage of options. There's no shortage of ideas and innovation.
Choose your tool, your market and your programming language and make $$$

Wait till they start coming out with standards based cloud computing for interoperability...
 
I still am not too sure exactly what it means.

They've got a webserver with some space where you can run .Net code, get access to a SQL DB, make use of Sharepoint & CRM (says the Azure site), and "developers also can choose from a broad range of commercial or open source development tools and technologies".

So exactly what kind of applications can we build here? Looking for a programmer to respond in technical terms, please?
 
KamikazeHamster said:
I still am not too sure exactly what it means.

They've got a webserver with some space where you can run .Net code, get access to a SQL DB, make use of Sharepoint & CRM (says the Azure site), and "developers also can choose from a broad range of commercial or open source development tools and technologies".

So exactly what kind of applications can we build here? Looking for a programmer to respond in technical terms, please?
Click to expand...

Hey KamikazeHamster

Think about it like this.

Do you use Facebook?
Do you use Gmail?

I am assuming you do.. Having said that... In terms of Facebook's "applications" they provide the "Framework" and Backend for you to code against. Like an application ecosystem unto itself, specifically for Facebook users. Just like people develop applications on the Windows Platform from Accounting Packages to Azureus :) Same principal... Only difference.. is that its built for the web.

Now when it comes to google. Gmail is part of a "bigger picture" in terms of google's frameworks and application engines. What they are now offering is to use their frameworks and application engines that their apps like "Gmail" run on to the end user. We as developers get to use their stable, scalable, tested, highly used App Engine through api's, webservices etc..

So the questions is what does Azure offer?

Scenario:
You as a developer buy a domain called mywebsite.com and uses a .net based code base either for blogging, e-commerce, etc.. So you need a hosting account. You can buy a hosting account selling asp.net enable web space from $20 a month to $60 a year, etc..
Lets assume you go with $20 a month which is $240 a year. Lets say you need DB access SQL 2000/2005 maybe another 10$ a month.

Now our total cost is $30 a month ($360 a year)
Now remember you have a certain amount of bandwidth, disk space that you are allocated. Lets say your website takes off and you start to exceed your bandwidth, or you need more disk space. Then you can start looking to renting your own server etc.. More $$$ Then lets say what you initially budgeted for $360 in a year now becomes over $800 in year because you never expected such growth or for whatever reason it can push your costs up.

Now Azure is kinda like a "Pay for what you use only" in terms of CPU usage, User Bandwidth Consumption, Disk space, Database space and consumption. This type of approach and business model, not only makes it easier for startup Web 2.0 companies to get off the ground quickly with minimal startup costs, it allows you to control the costs of your startup at such a granular level. Now lets assume for this purpose that out of your total cost of $360 per year... your website is actually only using $100 worth of resources (bandwidth, db usage, disk space, etc..) $260 is going to waste??? Azure kind of gives you a pay as use option which can be quite effective when trying to come up with proof of concepts..

On the other hand Azure offers you scalability, performance, standards and a whole lot more. You dont have to worry why servers are running slow. You have to worry about network load balancing if you ever get to that point. Please keep in mind that the above example is purely reliant on their Pricing which they are still to release. But seeing as this is new technology and will take time to mature it will become highly cost effective in the future as MS, Google, Amazon, facebook all are trying to fight for market share online to deliver services, advertising, etc...

Also keep in mind that their website says that the target market is for ISV's, Enterprises, Web Developers. Do you now how much large corporates spend to keep servers run by DiData or Business Connexxion to handle their "Line Of Business" systems.

Off the top of my head. Take www.digitalplanet.co.za. How much do you think it costs them to develop, host, maintain and run their operation?? Remember everything is in house. Imagine you were the CEO/CTO/CIO of a company that spends R20 000 a month on IT related costs for server hosting, maintenance & bandwidth. Lets say that R15 000 goes to bandwidth because its so expensive in this country. Can you see how Azure will become a very handy tool in your arsenal to lower costs of doing business??

Granted it will take time to "port" an application over to their "Azure" model and services layer. But remember that microsoft are king of developing "platforms". As much as we hate them.. they spend $$$ billions on R&D. And by adding php, python, ruby support to this cloud computing paradigm it opens up the market to anyone.

The most exciting part about this, is that the innovation and possibilities with regards to cloud computing irrespective of vendor or technology has not even began to scratch the surface. I am really looking forward to seeing what people will develop over the years from entertainment services to high level enterprise services. With convergence in every arena of telecoms, mobile devices, computers, phones, etc...

Its going to be exciting... and the most innovative will probably make the most money :)
 
They're just rebranding the thin client :

hd20081103.png


:D:D:D
 
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