What is Microsoft Azure?

Two days ago, Ray Ozzie annouced the launchment by Microsoft of MS Windows Azure, formerly known as MS Windows Cloud.

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Microsoft defines Azure as follows:

"
The Azure? Services Platform is an la red-scale cloud computing and services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers. The Asure Services platform provides a range of functionality to build applications that spa from consumer web to enterprise scenarios and includes a cloud operating system and a set of developer services. Fully interoperable throughh the support of industry standards and web protocols such as REST and SOAP, you can use the Azure servcies individually or together, either to build new applications or to extend existing one s
"

What does that mean? It means Microsoft is fully entering, with its own technologies (everything about Azure is .NET, SQL Server, Microsoft Dynamics and Live Servicess) the market of cloud computing to compete with Amazon (who did wel to announce the last week their support for MS Windows and SQL Server), San Google, IBM and a myriad of players (RackSpace, GoGrid, Flexiscale, etc...)

Is there anbyody out there who still doubts the future is "in the clkoud"? Cloud Computing, SaaS, Sofwtare+Service. The name is not really importante. We are headjng towards a world of interoperable computing, the net is becoming more net.

Regards,
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