PDC 2008 - Windows Azure
The day started with the announcement of a new "Operating System" for the cloud - Windows Azure. Windows Azure is a foundation to build scalable and robust applications and services that will be deployed to Microsoft servers (the "Cloud"). Windows Azure also support a .NET Services such as SQL services, Exchange services and so forth. It seems that .NET MyServices (Hailstorm) is back with a more mature design and implementation.
The only problem that I find in this model is that I think that many companies will not put their core business data and functionality in Microsoft hands. You can argue that companies put their money in a bank, and that they trust this bank, but at least they can choose the bank and can move to another bank if they want to. Microsoft wants to move from selling Windows servers to selling services and to make the paradigm shift to "Software + Services". As I see it, they should sell the "Cloud O/S" to other independent companies that will use the technology to host their application as the case today with hosting ASP.NET applications.
For now Windows Azure appears to be a good solution for SMB companies that want to cut the IT and development costs.