The Cloud is here. Be a part of it!
Let’s face it - Cloud Computing is here. The word “cloud” is everywhere. It is being used in marketing, it appears in product and technology names and there are new companies springing into life with "cloud” in their names. The entire computing industry is investing in cloud computing. Microsoft is a part of this trend as well. Windows Azure, Hyper-V and the entire System Center Suite of products are all key technologies in Microsoft’s cloud strategy. I want to ensure you have as much information as possible to elevate your skill sets and be ready for the future.
Below you will a series of links to a variety of Microsoft products and technologies that are key to working in the cloud as a Developer and as an IT Pro.
Windows Azure Platform Trial -
You can run a Small Windows Azure instance with a 1GB SQL Azure database for free for the first 90 days of your trial.
Provides developers with the APIs, basic tools, documentation, and samples needed to develop Internet-scale applications that run on Windows Azure
Also on that page is the Windows AppFabric SDK - Windows Azure AppFabric is a key component of the Windows Azure Platform. It include three services: AppFabric Access Control, AppFabric Service Bus and AppFabric Caching Service. This SDK includes API libraries for building connected applications using Windows Azure AppFabric. It spans the entire spectrum of today’s Internet applications—from rich connected applications with advanced connectivity requirements to Web-style applications that use simple protocols such as HTTP.
Download the Windows Phone SDK 7.1 RC and experiment with the latest tools release for Windows Phone. The Windows Phone SDK 7.1 RC provides the tools necessary to target the upcoming Windows Phone OS release codenamed Mango, and includes the "Go Live" license to publish your applications to Marketplace for use on phones with Mango, the Microsoft Advertising SDK for Windows Phone 7 and productivity enhancements such as an app profiler and an improved emulator
WebMatrix is a free web development tool from Microsoft that includes everything you need for website development. Start from open source web applications, built-in web templates or just start writing code yourself. It’s all-inclusive, simple and best of all free. Developing websites has never been easier.
Cheers!