{"id":261102,"date":"2010-02-01T16:53:13","date_gmt":"2010-02-01T21:53:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gigaom.com\/?p=96006"},"modified":"2010-02-01T16:53:13","modified_gmt":"2010-02-01T21:53:13","slug":"microsoft-finally-opens-azure-for-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/261102","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Finally Opens Azure for Business"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n

Microsoft, after talking about it endlessly, has finally opened up its cloud platform, Windows Azure, for business. Windows Azure and SQL Azure are now available in 21 countries worldwide, the company said. So today the rubber meets the road — and we get to see how Azure does in the marketplace.<\/p>\n

\"\"What will Azure’s financial impact be? It’s hard to say, but I think it’s safe to assume that Microsoft, which has gotten used to the 50 percent (or higher) margins on its products, will see those margins shrivel <\/a> in the face of the competition. Azure is joining a crowded marketplace, one dominated by Amazon and its web services, which now boasts of thousands of developers in addition to an entire ecosystem.<\/p>\n

\"\"And if that wasn’t enough, Azure will be competing with offerings from IBM, Cisco Systems, EMC Corp. and VMware, Rackspace and other small players. Microsoft says it’s not worried, though and claims<\/a> companies like 3M and GXS are already using the Azure cloud.<\/p>\n

Not only are established partners and ISVs looking to the Windows Azure platform as a way to extend their revenue capabilities, but startups like Lokad<\/a> are betting their businesses on it. Lokad has deployed a scalable forecasting cloud-based service to its retail and manufacturing customers that provides real-time forecasting data to allow for inventory optimization and ultimately bring them to profitability.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n