Windows Azure to put hosting companies on notice?

Posted in Cloud, Windows Azure

myITforum.com is hosted with a reputable hosting company and sits on it’s own server.  However, hosting prices continue to soar and we’re always looking for alternatives.  So far, the alternatives have never been compelling enough to switch.  Until, maybe, today.

Microsoft is now providing web site hosting services in both Shared and Reserved offerings.  They have a calculator posted up to allow you to check pricing against your current hosting company, or to simply understand what it may cost if you decide to host on a Microsoft solution.

If you are a member of Microsoft programs such as MSDN, Microsoft Partner Network or BizSpark, you get free access to Windows Azure as part of your membership benefits.

If you’re not a partner, simply use the sliders on the page to set your SQL db size and bandwidth requirements and find out immediately what your cost will be.  You can also get a 6% break on the monthly price by choosing a 6-month plan versus a pay-as-you-go model.

Check out the calculator: https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/pricing/calculator/

So, yeah…does this mean that hosting companies like Orcsweb (our hosting company) and Rackspace have anything to fear?  If it has me interested, I’m sure many others will be interested to check it out, too.

Windows Azure web hosting

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