Microsoft launches mobile-side cloud service Windows Azure Mobile Services

Yesterday Microsoft released its new module, Windows Azure Mobile Services (the Azure Mobile service Platform, below) for the cloud computing platform. With this service platform, developers can add cloud services to their Windows 8 applications: It is easier to store data on cloud computing servers, authenticate users, and send push notifications to clients. However, it should be recalled that the Azure Mobile service platform has not yet supported Windows Phone, iOS and Android mobile platforms.

Like other cloud computing background services solutions, the Azure Mobile service platform enables developers to focus more on front-end research and development and accelerate product integration into the marketplace. In addition, it makes Microsoft more competitive in the cloud computing field, and it's a huge pressure for cloud-backed services providers like Parse, Kinvey and hints airship. However, the platform only supports Windows 8 applications for the time being, and Microsoft does not give a detailed account of when other non-Microsoft platforms will be supported.

When set up, the application's corresponding data will be saved in the Windows Azure Cloud computing platform and worked with the SQL database inside. As a result, developers can safely check the data without writing or deploying specific code (it uses rest endpoints and OData format development based on Jason). In addition, this platform supports list creation, data browsing, guidance settings, and access control. Like other cloud-computing back-end service providers, developers use the Azure Mobile service platform to integrate user authentication into applications and send push notifications to clients.

It is worth mentioning that the Azure Mobile service platform also provides analytics, and developers can use the appropriate services to track usage and other program-related metrics. It provides a very convenient programming interface, allowing developers to easily visualize the data in hand.

To use the Azure Mobile service platform, developers must download the Visual Studio Express Edition and the mobile Services Consolidator SDK Development Kit. By reading a quick development guide, developers will naturally understand how to add cloud backend services to their Windows 8 applications.

The current Azure mobile service platform is only a preview, and developers need to register for free trial. During the probation period, this mobile service is free for the first 10 Windows 8 applications.

Microsoft longtime observer Mary Jo Foley points out that this is not the first time Microsoft has tried to attract members of the mobile development community to use their Azure cloud computing services. In the spring of 2011, the company launched the Azure Toolkit for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone platforms, respectively. The new Azure mobile service platform is likely to replace old tools.

(Responsible editor: Lu Guang)