Windows Azure Platform Developer Center

Windows Azure

Windows Azure is the cloud services operating system that serves as the development, service hosting, and service management environment for the Windows Azure Platform. Windows Azure provides developers with on-demand compute and storage to host, scale, and manage Internet or cloud applications. and services on the Internet in Microsoft data centers.

Windows Azure supports a consistent development experience through its integration with Visual Studio. In the early stages of CTP, .NET managed applications built using Visual Studio will be supported. Windows Azure is an open platform that will support both Microsoft and non-Microsoft languages and environments. Windows Azure welcomes third-party tools and languages such as Eclipse, Ruby, PHP, and Python.

• First-time user? Register at Microsoft Connect
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.NET Services

The .NET Services, part of the Windows Azure platform, provide secure connectivity as a service to help developers bridge cloud, on-premises, and hosted deployments. You can use the Service Bus and the Access Control Service to build distributed and federated applications as well as services that work across network and organizational boundaries. From simple eventing scenarios to complex protocol tunneling, the Service Bus gives developers the flexibility to choose how their applications communicate, while to address the challenges presented by firewalls, NATs, dynamic IP, and disparate identity systems. The Access Control Service enables simple, secure authorization for RESTful web services that federate with a variety of identity providers.

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SQL Azure

Microsoft SQL Azure extends the capabilities of Microsoft SQL Server into the cloud as a Web-based, distributed relational database. It provides Web services that enable relational queries, search, and data synchronization with mobile users, remote offices and business partners. It can store and retrieve structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.

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