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Andrew McMurray Technical Evangelist Microsoft ![]()
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| Windows Azure and your infrastructure.
Hi Everyone!
As I’m sure you are all aware, Windows Azure has been available for quite some time now and is a great platform for application development, database hosting and a whole slew of other capabilities. Traditionally, Windows Azure is seen as more of a developer resource than something IT Pro’s are concerned with. However, there have been some major advances in Azure Virtual Machine hosting that bring Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) into the firing line as something you might want to start investigating.
When it comes to VM hosting, Azure has a number of capabilities:
- Windows Virtual Machines– Easily create Windows Server Virtual Machines in the Cloud
- Linux Virtual Machines– Full support for certain Linux distributions when running within Azure Virtual Machine services
- Virtual Networking– Provision and manage Virtual Networks allowing you to migrate workloads to Azure without the pain of retooling IP addresses
- Storage– Easily provision, attach and manage storage
For those of you interesting in exploring our capabilities further, there are a slew of recorded sessions from TechEd 2012 which you can check out and you can also be sure that we will be covering this technology this year also at the conference. Check out the Azure Virtual Machine landing page for even more information on pricing, and also for links to the VM Depot where you can get community developed preconfigured VM’s for use in Azure, and also the documentation sites for Windows and Linux VM’s for deeper technical information.
Sounds interesting? Sign up for a free 90-day trial to give Windows Azure a try! Also, for local training we have Windows Azure IT Professional camps coming to Auckland and Christchurch, check out the events section below for more details.
Till next time!
Cheers!
Macca |
![latest news]() Download System Center 2012 SP1, email us a screenshot showing 100% completion and you're in the draw! It's that easy! Due to the high demand of our Windows 8 IT Camps in Christchurch, not only have we added an additional camp on the 18th of March, but we have also added new seats to the previously booked out event! Register now to secure your spot! You now have everything you need to quickly build great, extremely scalable, end-to-end media solutions for streaming on-demand video to consumers on any device. For example, you can easily build a media service for delivering training videos to employees in your company, stream video content for your web-site, or build a premium video-on-demand service like Hulu or Netflix. Last year several broadcasters used Windows Azure Media Services to stream the London 2012 Olympics. Microsoft's Big Data solution allows users to gain business insights from structured and unstructured data of virtually any size and activate new types of data irrespective of its location. |
![featured apps]() The ESPN Cricinfo Windows 8 app provides comprehensive coverage of cricket from around the world from espncricinfo.com. With live ball-by-ball scoring, comprehensive news, features and editorial content, it’s the most beautiful way yet to follow cricket. ESPNFC is the global site for the global game, with worldwide football coverage 24/7. Our Windows 8 app features comprehensive football coverage, with live scores, results, fixtures, tables, club profiles, player profiles – all beautifully presented. |
![upcoming events]() March 26th in Auckland and April 8th in Christchurch
To learn more about our Infrastructure as a Service platform, we invite all IT Professionals to join local Microsoft experts as they introduce you to the Microsoft cloud platform, dive deep into Windows Azure Virtual Machines, and help walk you through hands-on demonstrations of the power of IaaS on the Windows Azure platform. February 26 and March 14 in Wellington. March 13 (new seats added!) and March 18 in Christchurch (all other Camps are fully booked!)
At this event, get first-hand technical, hands-on experience with Windows 8 in the workplace. Explore the new features in Windows 8 while you dive deep into key scenarios around management, deployment, security, desktop virtualisation, application development, sideloading and desktop recovery. Microsoft IT Camps are no-cost, hands-on technical training events for IT professionals led by Microsoft experts. Learn about the new features and capabilities of Windows 8 that make migration, deployment, and management of tomorrow’s environments easier for IT while improving the end-user experience. March 5th in Auckland
SQL Server powers the backend of the entire Census system, including the website. Come along to this session to find out some of the challenges that we've overcome - including earthquakes - and get a full appreciation of how the whole end to end solution relies upon the SQL Server eco system. Hekaton is Greek for "hundreds" and a feature of the next version of SQL Server was given this name for its ability to speed up database function 100x (potentially). It certainly increases application speed by 10x and nearly 50x for new, optimized applications. In this session we're going to look at what Hekaton is, how it works, and how it can be best utilised. March 1 from 1:00pm - 2:30pm (N.Z. Time)
Come join us to learn more about Microsoft’s strategy for securing Windows PCs. In this session we talk about our approach to desktop security and how a comprehensive security solution can be achieved when using Windows client, Windows Server, Microsoft System Center, Microsoft Office, and Windows Internet Explorer. March 15 from 1:00pm - 2:30pm (N.Z. Time)
A lot of customers are aware of the cloud but are often asking WHY Cloud? In this session we will go through the reasons to consider cloud computing and then discuss Microsoft’s offerings in the Private Cloud and Public Cloud areas. |
![featured topic]() The TechNet Security TechCenter is the hub of everything security-related for IT Pros. Find the latest security bulletins, download tools to assess your organisation’s vulnerabilities and improve security. Access videos, webcasts and other e-learning resources. Search the TechNet community forums for assistance with security-related issues. Start by watching this video detailing the investments Microsoft has made into making Windows 8 our most secure OS yet and what you need to do to get ready for it. |
![find out more and download the tools]()
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