Windows Azure User Groups: Cloud Customers Partnering Up?

March 20, 2012

2 Min Read
Windows Azure User Groups: Cloud Customers Partnering Up?

By samdizzy

Windows_Azure

Windows Azure user groups — focused on Microsoft’s cloud computing platform — are popping up across the globe. Indeed, cloud computing customers and independent software developers (ISVs) seem determined to share best practices and tips for mastering Windows Azure. The big question: Can Windows Azure user groups help Microsoft itself to raise the cloud computing platform’s visibility?

Admittedly, some of the Windows Azure user groups are Microsoft-driven. But some Windows Azure special interest groups (SIGs), including this list, appear to be taking on lives and educational sessions of their own:

Talkin’ Cloud is poking around to see what types of applications and services user group members are launching in the Windows Azure cloud. Near term, Microsoft continues to face plenty of questions about Windows Azure adoption and reliability — especially after the recent Windows Azure Leap Year Outage. But long term, Talkin’ Cloud believes Microsoft will gain critical mass with Windows Azure, especially as Microsoft connects the dots between its own business applications (such as Dynamics CRM) and Azure.

Still, Windows Azure will continue to face intense competition from early market leaders (Amazon Web Services, Rackspace, Google) and emerging market disrupters. An HP public cloud initiative, for instance, is expected to launch within two months.

Microsoft has spent millions of dollars advertising its cloud services platforms. But I wonder: Does Windows Azure’s best hope for mainstream success involve grass-roots user groups, where customers and partners are busy sharing best practices? I’m betting the answer to that question is a solid yes.

Read more about:

AgentsMSPsVARs/SIs
Free Newsletters for the Channel
Register for Your Free Newsletter Now

You May Also Like