Why Azure Is A Game Changer

We had the opportunity to participate in Windows Azure Incubation Week in Atlanta this month. In addition to feeding us, Microsoft provided class room training as well as one-on-one technical consultation. Six other firms were also in residence at the event; ChasingSavings, CoreMotives, LLC, EyeMail, FandomU, Izenda and LessMeeting. We enjoyed meeting and networking with each of these firms.

We used our time at Incubation Week to build out an app, MonitorGrid that monitors Windows server availability and health. What does Linxter have to do with health monitoring? Using Linxter, we are able to easily move data between servers and the MonitorGrid cloud app now running on Azure. And since Linxter provides two way communication, MonitorGrid users not only receive vital stats, but are able to send files to their servers as well as issue remote commands from the cloud app.

To add some more techno wizardry, our latest business partner, VisualGov Solutions, used Linxter to integrate MonitorGrid with Microsoft’s Office Communications Server (OCS), allowing the cloud app to notify users of server issues via phone using the text-to-speech capability of OCS.

Working with Azure was fun and surprisingly easier than I had anticipated. What sets Azure apart from other cloud offerings is that it not only removes the need for infrastructure, but also removes the system administrator. Microsoft has been working diligently on building a cloud operating service model in which all you have to do is focus on your app. You develop an app and deploy it to the cloud. This is the game changer here.

Imagine developing a client/server app where there is no server – enter the age of the client/cloud app. How about a web app where there is no web server? This is what Azure and platforms like Linxter bring to the table. In my past, I was given the responsibility of identifying outage trends for a federally designated critical infrastructure project. Human error was the leading cause, predominantly involving system administration.

Has Azure killed off the system administrator? Of course not, as not everything will run in Azure. But one important take away is that using platforms such as Linxter and Azure open the possibility of providing turnkey solutions to clients or acquirers who now will only ever have to think about the next set of features they wish to add.

Our week in Atlanta provided us with top notch access to Azure technical resources. Eager to share my new knowledge, I plan on posting an open source integration solution for Windows Azure in the next week. It’ll be a simple web app whose content gets updated when it receives messages from any Linxter enabled program, such as our open source instant messenger. I’ll also post a solution for working with SQL Azure soon too. Stay posted!

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