Gallery: Microsoft takes wraps off Windows Azure

At Microsoft's PDC 2008 conference, the company's chief software architect Ray Ozzie took the wraps off Windows Azure which is an operating system that lets developers write programs for Microsoft's data centers instead of individual pieces of software for business servers.

By Andy Smith, Contributor on Oct. 28, 2008

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Microsoft will be competing with the likes of Amazon, Salesforce.com, and Rackspace--providers of Internet storage and computing services.

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Microsoft's chief software architect Ray Ozzie takes the stage.

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Server and Tools senior VP Bob Muglia talks about the benefits to businesses of Windows Azure.

Credit: Robert Vamosi

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Microsoft's Dave Thompson tells attendees at the Professional Developer Conference that all of the company's enterprise software will be offered as an online service over time.

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Microsoft's cloud computing team discusses how a common set of tools can be used for developing applications for traditional Windows as well as for Windows Azure.

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One of the biggest challenges in business software, whether it lives inside a company or is part of a hosted service, is making sure that only properly authorized employees have access to the data and applications. Microsoft discusses how its Federated Identity platform will work with the new hosted services.

Credit: Robert Vamosi

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The center of the universe, Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

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Manage services not servers.

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You can test and debug locally. Then choose publish option. It packages your app. then takes your to Azure dev portal.

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Screenshot of the Bluehoo.com dashboard for monitoring service performance.

Credit: Robert Vamosi