Windows Azure Announcement (including CDN)

Microsoft's Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie publicly unveiled the Windows Azure Platform, which included its Content Delivery Network (CDN) service powered by Akamai, marking Microsoft's official entry into the general-purpose cloud market.

Significance

This event signaled Microsoft's strategic commitment to cloud computing and the foundational role performance and global content delivery would play in its cloud ecosystem from day one, albeit initially through a key partnership.