Microsoft has released a version of its Windows Azure cloud platform as an appliance.
In a blog posting, Microsoft server and tools corporate vice president Robert Wahbe, explained that the appliance would provide a means for organisations to run a cloud service, either internally or for their own customers.
Microsoft are talking about a specific locked-down piece of hardware that can represent hundreds of thousands of servers. Like an appliance, it is standardised and turn-key, so customers can deploy the Windows Azure in their data centres.
Microsoft said an appliance can be useful for organisations that wish to run their software both internally and on external Azure services, adding that the workload can be easily moved between multiple Azure locations.
According to Microsoft, Dell, Fujitsu, and Hewlett-Packard will each sell a "limited production release" of the appliance, as well as offer an Azure service for their customers. eBay intends to use the appliance for internal operations. A broader release is expected by later this year.
