Azure is the new game changer, it was Amazon Web Services solo run for a while but Microsoft with Windows Azure is determine to close the gap.
Azure managed services offers IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and Paas (Platform as a Service), basically unmanaged and managed services.
You can choose to host all your services on Azure Cloud’s or choose a Hybrid option (your private datacenter+Azure public cloud)
The biggest selling point is the advantages for developers, Microsoft offers developers and IT Pros end-to-end integrated DevOps solutions for on-premises, hybrid, and cloud scenarios—solutions designed to be open and integrate easily with your existing DevOps tools. The new Azure Management Portal with Visual Studio Online and Application Insights makes collaboration easier between developers and IT Pros, increasing value through the application lifecycle. Start a project, check in and test code, set up continuous integration and deployment, and monitor application health and usage telemetry.
Also with SQL DATABASES you have a ready to use database that provides scalability well beyond what most in-house managed data centers offer today. Need to move that database out of your datacenter to Windows Azure? Check out how to do this here: www.newtec.wpengine.com
Some of the available options from Azure:
Web sites : You can use Windows Azure if you want to launch a web site. You can develop the site using a wide range of different web application frameworks (like ASP.NET and Node.js) or using open source applications (like WordPress or Joomla).
Virtual Machines : You can use Windows Azure to run Windows or Linux virtual machines in the cloud. This is a great option if you need additional computer capacity for existing applications but you don’t want to add more servers to your own datacenter.
Mobile services : Windows Azure includes features that accelerate the development of mobile applications. You can easily incorporate user authentication using Windows Live, Facebook, Twitter, or Google.
Media : You can use Windows Azure if you want to create, manage or distribute media. The platform provides functionality to protect content, to provide live or on-demand streaming of video and to convert media to various formats.
Cloud services : You can use Windows Azure to build or extend existing enterprise applications. Windows Azure includes a services bus which enables integration with other applications such as SAP.
Big Data : You can use Windows Azure as a platform for enormous amounts of data (petabytes – thousands of terabytes, millions of gigabytes). With the built in tools you can provide data warehousing and business intelligence solutions for improved business analytics.
For any questions contact www.newtec.wpengine.com
