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By Mel Duvall
Microsoft unveiled a new cloud computing appliance at its annual Worldwide Partner Conference in Washington, D.C. and provided details on a number of cloud initiatives, including a new Microsoft Dynamics marketplace.
At the conference, Microsoft introduced its Azure cloud computing server, which will allow the software giant to manage cloud environments remotely. Microsoft believes cloud computing is its next big opportunity, as well as a major growth market for its 640,000-odd partners that resell, build and sell services based on Microsoft technology.
"We are at an inflection point in technology history," Ballmer said in his keynote address Tuesday. "For customers, cloud computing creates tremendous value, which translates to massive opportunity for Microsoft and its partners. As in past technology transitions, Microsoft will help partners embrace the industry's transformation to realize their opportunity and continue to be economic drivers for their local community."
Microsoft has been criticized for being slow to get into the cloud computing race. However, the company seems to have made up for lost ground in recent months. In February, Microsoft launched Azure, its cloud computing platform, which allows developers to build and deliver applications running at Microsoft data centers.
At the partner conference, Microsoft announced that it would partner with three major vendors -- Dell, HP and Fujitsu -- to offer a version of the new Azure appliance running on their hardware. For its part, Dell said it would work with Microsoft to deliver a Dell-powered Azure appliance that would allow enterprises to operate their own cloud-based data centers.
To demonstrate the support for its cloud strategy, Microsoft said online auction giant eBay would be among the first major companies to use its Azure technology in a large-scale deployment.
"Microsoft's focus on and investment in the Windows Azure appliance shows it is committed to world-class cloud computing solutions," eBay VP of technology James Barrese said in a statement. "Joint engineering on the Windows Azure platform appliance with eBay's massive, high-volume systems allows Microsoft to demonstrate its leadership in this space and helps eBay improve our user experience through a flexible, scalable and cost-effective solution."
Microsoft made a number of other announcements at the conference, including:
- The launch in September of Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, a repository for applications for customers of the company's Microsoft Dynamics CRM software. The marketplace is aimed at countering a similar application storefront recently announced by Salesforce.com called AppExchange 2.
- The release of Windows Phone Developer beta tools that will allow developers to build applications and games for Windows Phone 7. The company hopes to spur the development of a serious complement of applications in time for the coming holiday season.
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