Latest Azure enhancements may tempt more developers

The ability to add third-party software to Azure and do more work with virtual machines are key new features, developers say

At its Professional Developers Conference (PDC) last week, Microsoft revealed enhancements to its Windows Azure cloud computing platform. New features include the ability to use Remote Desktop Services to view Azure virtual machines and full support for Internet Information Services.

Ronald Wildenberg, senior developer at ITQ Celerior, says. "We're not doing any Azure deployments at the moment, mainly because we develop a product that plugs right into the Active Directory infrastructure of our customers." That could change with the PDC announcements.

Additionally, some of the new features announced at PDC offer users more granular control over what used to be a sort of "black box" that surrounded Windows Azure. New Azure "Extra Small Instances" cost 5 cents per hour (U.S.), are meant to ease the cost burden of getting started with Azure and they provide enhanced privilege levels for administering key Azure processes.

At its Professional Developers Conference (PDC) last week, Microsoft revealed enhancements to its Windows Azure cloud computing platform. New features include the ability to use Remote Desktop Services to view Azure virtual machines and full support for Internet Information Services.

Ronald Wildenberg, senior developer at ITQ Celerior, says. "We're not doing any Azure deployments at the moment, mainly because we develop a product that plugs right into the Active Directory infrastructure of our customers." That could change with the PDC announcements.

Additionally, some of the new features announced at PDC offer users more granular control over what used to be a sort of "black box" that surrounded Windows Azure. New Azure "Extra Small Instances" cost 5 cents per hour (U.S.), are meant to ease the cost burden of getting started with Azure and they provide enhanced privilege levels for administering key Azure processes.

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