Microsoft owns Azure, its cloud-computing platform for infrastructure, software, databases, analytics, and artificial intelligence services.
Azure was announced in 2008 under the name Windows Azure and became commercially available in 2010. Microsoft renamed it Microsoft Azure in 2014 as the service expanded beyond its original Windows-centered identity.
Azure competes across several cloud categories, including virtual machines, storage, networking, developer tools, and managed databases. It is used by businesses, governments, schools, and developers, and it integrates with Microsoft's broader software ecosystem, including Windows Server, Microsoft 365, and development tools.
Azure is sometimes confused with Microsoft 365, but the products serve different primary purposes. Microsoft 365 is a productivity and collaboration subscription, while Azure is a cloud platform that supplies computing resources and online services. Azure's growth has made cloud services a major part of Microsoft's business.