Microsoft Azure (formerly known as Windows Azure) is an open platform comprised of a growing collection of integrated cloud services: computing, database, mobile, networking, storage, analytics, web, and more. The flexibility of this platform makes it easy to scale up or down to meet business needs under a pay-for-use, per-minute billing business model.
If you're a developer, you can take advantage of the integrated tools and built-in templates in Microsoft Azure to build your web and mobile apps. It supports the same technologies millions of developers and IT professionals already use and trust. After your apps are published, you can run them from any of the worldwide network of Microsoft datacenters. Having a global footprint means that you have a lot of options for running your applications and ensuring great customer experience.
This new era of business intelligence enables organizations to make smarter decisions, improve customer service, and uncover more opportunities for growth.
To address data security and privacy concerns, Microsoft has made an industry-leading commitment to the protection and privacy of data. They've been recognized by leading data protection authorities and were the first major cloud provider to adopt the new international cloud privacy standards. They have also launched Azure Government, a stand-alone version of Azure designed for U.S. public agencies with rigorous compliance requirements.