Windows Azure Developer

Start here to find everything you need to develop cloud applications on Windows Azure: All the documentation, SDK's, libraries, code snippets, videos and more.

Download Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft^® Visual Studio^®

You can work with Windows Azure on your local machine as if you were interacting with the cloud without an account.  Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio support Visual Studio 2008 SP1 and Visual Studio 2010 Beta 1. If you don’t have Visual Studio, download the free Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition

Create a New Windows Azure Account

Before you get started, you need to have a Windows Azure token.

Cloud Development
with Windows Azure

Technical Strategist Steve Marx discusses what Windows Azure means for developers. The basic idea is to make it really simple for developers to deploy web applications and services without having to worry about scaling and management.

Windows Azure SDKs

• Windows Azure SDK
  The Windows Azure SDK provides developers with the APIs, tools, documentation, and samples needed to develop internet-scale applications that run on Windows Azure. Using the Windows Azure SDK, developers can create applications that run it in a local development fabric even without a registered account.

Whitepapers

• Introducing the Windows Azure platform
  Using computers in the cloud can make lots of sense. Rather than buying and maintaining your own machines, why not exploit the acres of internet-accessible servers on offer today? Learn about the Windows Azure platform in this white paper.
• Introducing Windows Azure
  Cloud computing is here. Running applications on machines in an internet-accessible data center can bring plenty of advantages. Yet wherever they run, applications are built on some kind of platform. For on-premises applications, this platform usually includes an operating system, some way to store data, and perhaps more. Applications running in the cloud need a similar foundation. The goal of Microsoft’s Windows Azure is to provide this. Part of the larger Windows Azure platform, Windows Azure is a platform for running Windows applications and storing data in the cloud.
• Windows Azure and ISVs – A Guide for Decision Makers
  Why should an independent software vendor (ISV) care about cloud computing? The answer is simple: Using the cloud has the potential to increase an ISV’s revenues and/or decrease its costs. Running code and storing data on computers in large internet-accessible data centers owned and operated by another organization can offer compelling advantages. If you are responsible for charting your course as an ISV, you'll want to consider how cloud computing can positively impact your business. This white paper explains how ISVs can benefit by using Windows Azure.

Windows Azure Communities

Meet the Bloggers

Code Samples

• MSDN Windows Azure Code Samples
• Search Windows Azure in CodePlex
• Windows Azure Issue Tracker

Training Course

• The Windows Azure Platform Training Course includes a comprehensive set of technical content including samples, demos, hands-on labs, and presentations that are designed to expedite the learning process for the set of technologies released as part of the Windows Azure Platform.