| Microsoft Azure | |
|---|---|
| About | |
| Classification | Cloud computing |
| Creator(s) | Microsoft |
| First Release | February 1, 2010 (14 years ago) |
| Website | https://azure.microsoft.com |
Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform (originally named Windows Azure) which provides versatile hosting for applications in their cloud infrastructure. Azure also links well to other Microsoft products, and supports Office 365, which is the software-as-a-service version of Microsoft Office. Azure's service offerings include virtual machines, object storage, and CDNs (Content Delivery Networks).[1][2]
Like some other cloud providers, Azure offers usage-based billing, meaning that customers only pay for what they use.[1] However, for the available performance, some say that Azure may be overpriced, compared to other services, such as Amazon Web Services.[3]
Considering that Azure is owned my Microsoft, it is obvious that they offer Windows operating systems with their platform. However, they also support Linux, along with a growing number of other auxiliary services.[3]