Microsoft launches into the clouds with Windows Azure

As promised by Steve Ballmer earlier this month, Microsoft has announced a new version of Windows that will run over the Internet from data centers hosted by Microsoft. Called Windows Azure, the idea is that developers will write software that runs within the "clouds" as opposed to the traditional approach of residing within servers owned and managed of a given business. The official word came at the start of Microsoft's Professional Developer Conference 2008 this week. It is not known how Microsoft will charge for Azure at this point, but it will be free during the preview period.

More interesting is the comment by Microsoft vice president, David Thompson, who said, "All our enterprise software will be delivered as an online service as an option." So the future does appear to be in the clouds after all.

To read more about Microsoft's Windows Azure:
- check out this article at CNET News.com

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