Microsoft’s cloud-computing platform, launched in 2010, is known by what name?

Microsoft’s cloud-computing platform, launched in 2010, is known as Microsoft Azure.

Azure began as Windows Azure and was commercially released in February 2010. Microsoft renamed it Microsoft Azure in 2014, reflecting a broader range of cloud services beyond its original Windows-focused identity. The platform provides computing, storage, databases, networking, analytics, artificial intelligence, and developer tools.

Azure is distinct from OneDrive. OneDrive is primarily a consumer and business file-synchronization service, while Azure is a large cloud infrastructure and platform ecosystem used to run applications and enterprise workloads. Azure also differs from Microsoft 365, which is a subscription suite of productivity applications and services.

Microsoft’s cloud strategy became increasingly important as the company expanded beyond packaged software. Azure competes mainly with Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud. Its growth is frequently discussed alongside Microsoft’s position among the world’s largest publicly traded companies by market capitalization.