Vin D'Amico

Microsoft has created a lot of buzz around the announcement of Windows Azure. They call it a “cloud services operating system.” Is this the next generation of Windows, a completely new operating system, or just marketing hype?

The answer is all three. Azure promises new options for building software applications.

While offering some unique features when it launches late this year, Azure is not a new concept. Other options are available today.

Cloud computing is simply the concept of accessing information, software applications and hardware systems remotely. “Cloud” is a reference to the Internet, which is often depicted as a cloud in network diagrams.

Azure falls into a sub-segment of cloud computing called “platform as a service” or PaaS. It is an outgrowth of Software as a Service (SaaS) though they are quite different.

SaaS allows you to license a software application and the computers that host it. The service provider assumes the cost of installing and maintaining the servers. Salesforce.com and Google Apps are the most well-known examples of SaaS applications.

You run the application remotely through a browser. Your IT staff is freed from the burden of supporting application software. They can focus on their core competency of managing networks and infrastructure.

PaaS allows you to license a platform consisting of infrastructure, servers, operating environments and tools. You build the software application, fix bugs and add features as needed. This is done remotely through a browser or using vendor-supported software tools.

Azure is not the first PaaS offering. The major cloud service providers include Amazon Web Services, Salesforce Force.com, and Google App Engine. Each has a unique software architecture and toolset resulting in unique strengths and weaknesses.

Amazon has the most flexible offering. The service offers virtual machine environments meaning you can load and run a variety of software applications. The Web services have been available since 2006 and are quite mature.

While this approach sounds unlimited in capability, the reality is quite different. The virtual environments execute atop a standard set of services. The functionality available to your developers is limited by the services Amazon chooses to offer.

The Salesforce Force.com platform is an extension of their customer relationship management and sales force automation offerings.

Salesforce started as a SaaS provider and has now expanded into PaaS. Their long history and success with SaaS positions Salesforce as a strong player in the market.

The Force.com platform has its limitations. The programming language and tools are proprietary and lock you into their environment. They do not allow direct access to the underlying database, a restriction that will limit your capabilities.

The Google App Engine is built on the high-performance Google infrastructure. The platform is flexible, extensible and uses industry standard tools.

The App Engine is currently in beta and only supports the Python Runtime Environment. While Python is a good Web development language, it is not as widely used as some other options making its choice somewhat surprising. More options will likely become available as the platform matures.

Microsoft is developing Azure to be integrated with their Visual Studio development environment and the .NET Framework. This could be a huge advantage because there are many software developers familiar with these tools.

Azure will not be available until late this year so it is too early to draw conclusions. However, a PaaS solution that looks and feels like Windows to developers and end users could be a highly competitive offering.

The PaaS marketplace is worth watching as EMC/VMWare, Hewlett-Packard Co., IBM, Oracle Corp., Sun Microsystems Inc. and many other vendors have announced products for on-demand, pay-as-you-go computing.

Need more convincing? Here are some business benefits to consider:

• Your desktop computer costs can be lower. Because cloud computing applications run in a browser, your desktop PCs can be smaller and simpler. As long as they run Internet Explorer, Firefox or any other browser, you have an effective desktop solution. Perhaps a low cost netbook is all that many of your users will need.
  
• Your data center will not need as many servers. The application and database servers reside in the cloud not in your data center. You will need networking infrastructure such as firewalls, routers and switches though these are far less complex and costly to manage.
  
• Your capital equipment and operating costs will be lower. You will not have to worry about backups, upgrades or repairs to data center components. All hardware costs and regular maintenance are assumed by the service provider.
  
• You will have a true anytime, anywhere solution. The software can be accessed worldwide using any computing device.

Once a new market attracts the attention of major industry players like Microsoft, you know there is more to it than just talk. Cloud computing is a viable alternative for many businesses regardless of size or industry.

Vin D'Amico is president of Damicon. He specializes in agile processes and freelance writing. He can be reached at vin@damicon.com or by visiting www.damicon.com.