Four months ago, we moved Windows Azure Infrastructure Services out of preview and into general availability which included covering the service with our industry-leading SLA. In the short time since then, Gartner has recognized Microsoft as a Visionary in the market for its completeness of vision and ability to execute according to its 2013 Magic Quadrant report for Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
We believe Gartner recognized Microsoft as a visionary because our comprehensive global IaaS + PaaS + Hybrid cloud vision is one of our biggest strengths.
Microsoft’s Vision for the Cloud
Over the past year we’ve made significant investments in Windows Azure in order to deliver on our vision, from launching Infrastructure Services to making countless other services - including Media Services, Mobile Services and Web Sites – generally available. We have aggressively expanded to Windows Azure into multiple international markets, including becoming the first cloud vendor to offer public cloud services in mainland China. In addition, we have made compelling improvements to the management portal. We believe the results from this report are a tremendous validation of the work we have completed so far, as well as where we plan to go.
Over the past several weeks, Brad Anderson, Corporate Vice President, Windows Server and System Center, has been contributing to the “What’s New in 2012 R2” blog series, which details the new capabilities and customer benefits delivered in the R2 versions of System Center 2012 and Windows Server 2012, as well as updates to Windows Intune, and how these offerings, together with Windows Azure, make the Cloud OS vision come to life. We see the Cloud OS as a strong differentiator, and believe that this will continue to contribute to our success in the IaaS market.
Don’t Take Our Word for It
We have a lot of customers doing exciting work on Windows Azure. Below are some case studies we’ve compiled from companies experiencing the benefits of Windows Azure and Microsoft’s Cloud OS vision.
- Trek Bicycle Corporation Moves Retail System to Cloud, Expects to Save $15,000 a Month in IT Costs
- Telenor Uses Windows Azure Virtual Machines for Fast, Efficient, Cost-saving Development and Testing of company-wide SharePoint 2013 Platform
- Toyota Redesigns Web Portal Using Scalable Cloud and Content Management Solutions
- Digital Air Strike uses Windows Azure and on-premises Microsoft technologies to provide social media monitoring and response services to some of the largest auto retailers in the world, including General Motors
We’re excited that Gartner recognized our completeness of vision, and look forward to deliver more on our vision in the coming year. If you’d like to read the full report, “Gartner: Magic Quadrant for Cloud Infrastructure as a Service,” you can find it at the following link: http://www.gartner.com/reprints/server-tools?id=1-1IMDMZ8&ct=130819&st=sb
I’m interested to hear your perspectives on the report, and on the rapidly evolving cloud landscape.
*Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.