Matt Rogers, Director, Global Sales Strategy Windows Azure, Microsoft, Smart Questions raises the most important considerations for evaluating cloud platforms. With such a fundamental change, there are few simple answers that can be stamped onto every firm. It is more important for IT leaders to consider their own unique environment, and this book provides the tools to conduct that analysis.
Paperback, July 2009, 160 pages, ISBN 978-0-9561556-3-4
Authors: Dan Scarfe, Marcus Tillett and Stephen Parker
REVIEWS
If you need an introduction to Azure and you’ve only got time to read one book, make sure it’s this one. I will be recommending it to suits and jeans alike in my organization. It strikes exactly the right balance between the technical and non-technical and is an excellent primer that answers key questions at many levels in a clear and concise manner.Bert Craven, Enterprise Architect, easyJet
When I was at school, the 3Rs were Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic. Now, for an IT professional thinking about cloud computing, we have a new definition, “Reinforced, Remind and Revealed”. Based on an evolving set of the right questions to ask, this book seeks to Reinforce your current model, Remind you of key points and Reveal new insights. Don’t start an Azure project without reading this.
Richard Prodger, Technical Director, Active Web Solutions
The potential of the Cloud is starting to be understood by enterprises. We have been delivering hosted BPM projects to Fortune1000 customers for 5 years, but now customers are asking us to provide long-term production capabilities. Our solutions are based on Microsoft technologies, so Azure seems the perfect platform. However, this is early stages for Azure and the wrong approach would be terminal for Nimbus. By offering questions that we can consider in the context of our business, rather than pre-canned answers, this book has massively de-risked our decision-making process.
Paul Linsell, Founder & CTO, Nimbus
The Windows Azure Platform is a strategic investment for Microsoft and its success is at the heart of our long-term plans. It is critical that we help our partners and customers understand the opportunities that are available, but just as importantly to manage the challenges.
Azure is part of Microsoft’s Software plus Services vision, providing partners and customers with the power of choice to deliver applications in the Cloud as well as on-premises. Microsoft wants businesses to invest in Azure because it is the right solution for them, not just because it is new.
The Smart Questions approach provides the questions, both business and technical, that you need to ask yourself so you can successfully take advantage of the power of Azure.
Alistair Beagley, Platform Strategy Advisor, Microsoft
Smart Questions 