Azure Launch Announced

I have blogged a number of times before about Azure, Microsoft's 'Cloud' platform.

It is extremely significant for Pingar. We are basing our global server architecture around the Azure platform so it is good that Microsoft have fronted up with some significant 'launch' news.

November 2009 appears to be kick-off date. I am working my way right now through some of the plans, but this is going to require direct engagement with the Azure Services team. 1 million servers might sound a lot. That number will have to be ramped up significantly.

It is only Day 2 of the Microsoft WorldWide Partner's Conference in New Orleans and already some key milestones have been set. For Pingar, those milestones appear to dovetail nicely into our own launch road map.

Good work, Steve and Ray.........

Taxing the Cloud

In Hong Kong, I had a very interesting meeting with KPMG.

We looked at the business model and started talking about Microsoft's Azure platform. As previous postings to this blog will verify, this is Pingar's preferred hosting platform.

Most of the discussions I have had around 'Cloud Computing' relate to technical issues. The meeting with KPMG highlighted another - tax.

If one follows the basic Microsoft Azure premise that server and broadband capacity can be replicated across multiple servers as demand requires, it is quite possible that e-commerce transactions could be transacted across numerous locations. That leads to some interesting tax-related scenarios. This is not a discussion I have had before.

At this point, I do not know enough about the Azure platform, to understand how the system might manage this process. Sure as hell, if the IRD or IRS come knocking on the door, we will need to be able to audit and date stamp each transaction. This is going to lead to some interesting conversations. Starting now.

More about this particular line of enquiry as I process through it.

Understanding The Cloud

Today, in Tauranga, it is raining.

Tomorrow, at the offices in Swansea, we are hosting an event: 'Azure - The Cloud' for a number of invited delegates. The event is being jointly hosted with Microsoft UK.

Understanding The Cloud is something that Pingar is 'deeply engaged' in. Azure is our long term Cloud 'platform of choice' and resource is now being committed to it.

Cloud computing is not however just a case of uploading an application to a Cloud network. It requires specific Azure 'coding'. Even though we work with the standard Microsoft technologies, that additional layer of Azure coding is still required. We are now working on that.

This will be the first Pingar hosted event in Wales. It is in fact one of the first formal Azure presentations in the principality. I hope to be able to publish a report (plus photo's) of the event on Thursday.

(In the meantime, apologies for the opening paragraph pun. Even I am cringing....)