Microsoft Announces Aggressive Cloud Computing Prices
2009年7月15日 - 4:09AM
Dow Jones News
Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) on Tuesday unveiled pricing for its cloud
computing service, dubbed Windows Azure, the latest signal the
software company intends to compete aggressively in the emerging
market to provide enterprise computer services over the
Internet.
Azure, which Microsoft formally announced eight months ago, is
the central plank of the company's strategy to grab a share of
cloud computing market, which allows customers to access computer
services over the Web and pay for them on a metered basis.
"Microsoft is throwing down the gauntlet and saying it's going
toe to toe with cloud providers," said Dana Gardner, a principal
analyst at Interarbor Solutions.
In becoming a cloud computing provider, Redmond, Wash.-based
Microsoft must balance the prospect of creating a new revenue
stream against the potential loss of packaged sales from its key
software franchises, like the Windows operating system and server
tools that could be supplanted by the new services.
It will also compete with a host of cloud computing pioneers,
like online retailer Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN). Other contenders
include archrival Google Inc. (GOOG), which offers some Web-based
programs, and software-as-a-service provider Salesforce.com Inc.
(CRM)
Azure will provide the platform on which independent software
developers can create Microsoft-compatible cloud applications. On
Monday, Microsoft also announced it will offer Web-based versions
of its popular Office suite of applications to consumers.
In recent trading, Microsoft shares were down 0.6% at
$23.09.
Microsoft's initial payment plan is targeted at independent
software developers who build applications designed to run on
Microsoft's Web platform. It includes fees for the computing and
storage capabilities that are used.
The company also said it will offer a 15% to 30% discount to
developers and resellers who sign on for six months or more. It was
not immediately clear what the long-term rates will be, nor has
pricing for end users been determined.
On the pay-per-use model, Microsoft will charge 12 cents per
hour for computing, 15 cents per gigabyte for storage and 10 cents
per 10,000 storage transactions.
Gardner said Microsoft had priced its Azure service
"aggressively," suggesting the company is serious about
establishing itself as a cloud computing provider, despite qualms
about the impact the move could have on its own business model
which is overwhelmingly reliant on traditional packaged software
sales.
Gardner said Microsoft's prices, which are broadly in line with
those charged by Amazon.com, are designed to entice developers to
build applications in its cloud, rather than that of
competitors.
But he suggested that while Microsoft appears to be willing to
practically give away the computing access in the development
phase, the software company might be expected to raise prices once
cloud computing applications moved into the mainstream.
-By Jessica Hodgson, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-439-6455;
jessica.hodgson@dowjones.com
-By Scott Morrison, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-765-6118;
scott.morrison@dowjones.com