Mexia are currently deep-diving on the Windows Azure platform because, like Microsoft, we are “all in” with the cloud.
We know that the future of system integration will involve the cloud in one way or the other, and as integration specialists working with corporate & government clients, building Hybrid Integration Platforms using both Windows Azure AppFabric Middleware AND BizTalk Server is now our raison d’être.
However explaining the cloud to our customers has not been as easy as our decision to follow Microsoft into the cloud.
Interestingly, we’re finding that the main pushback isn’t technical because they generally already know that the cloud gives them immediate agility, better server utilisation and a managed infrastructure service.
The main resistance points that we’ve had are:
1. Perception of unquantifiable risks (information security, service uptime etc), which is tackled here.
2. Real unwillingness to uproot their business’ IT systems while everything is stable, which is tackled here.
3. Perception of unpredictable costs, which is tackled here.
The third & final resistance point is an interesting one, mainly because I genuinely think some of our customers genuinely LIKE buying servers and having control over their environments. I think this is because provided they can quantify the expense of buying their own infrastructure (however high it is), and as long as they are still making money, why turn everything upside down and change the way they do things?
This is clearly bonkers, however, it’s one of the resistance points we face and we have to know how to deal with it.
Enter stage left the Windows Azure Discovery Pack!
As you can see it’s a current promotion by Microsoft that gives you a 6 month block of Azure hours for half-price, plus free training, plus free consulting (from Mexia or your preferred Windows Azure partner).
The website also says the offer expires June 30th 2012, but Microsoft’s effervescent Azure marketing specialist Margaret Synan explained to me that if you buy a DP before Xmas 2011, you’ll have time to purchase another one before the offer goes away. This means you’ll have effectively locked in the 50% discounted Azure pricing for 12 months!
Talk about a way to quantify your Azure costs.
The Discovery Pack is really worth considering if Azure goodness is on your company roadmap for 2012 and you want to control your costs whilst you climb aboard the juggernaut!
Get it while it’s hot, and tell them Mexia sent you! 