Microsoft: 'You can get your data onto Azure for free!'

Microsoft has announced that beginning on July 1, all data transfers onto its Microsoft Azure cloud will be free. This will apply to both "peak" and "off-peak" times, the company said with a Wednesday morning blog post. The change is designed to encourage developers to move large quantities of their own data onto Microsoft's …

[Will Godfrey]

It will all end in...

Place appropriate word here please.

[Trey Pattillo]

Can you say...

Ransomware !

[Keith T. Grey, Sr.]

So what has changed in 20 years?

This was always one of my major complaints -- plenty of options under "File"/"Import", nothing or just "ASCII" under "File"/"Export". I have never put my data into anything I couldn't get it back out easily & intact and this is one of the first criteria I check...

[Steven Roper]

And that is why

cloud storage will only ever be secondary. No sane person will entrust their data to a system where some cloud company has control over your access to it - not to mention what they could do to it without your knowledge. Any business or person who uses only cloud storage rather than their own private storage is simply asking for it.

While cloud storage has its uses, it clearly has its pitfalls as well. Any sensible company will use it primarily as a means of giving their mobile staff and contractors access to what they need, and private cloud users may store *copies* of their media files there, but if they have any brains at all, they'll keep their own copies at home.

So Hauger's point about "all computing infrastructure moving to the cloud" is pure bollocks, about as likely to happen as everyone leaving their car keys in their car doors for easier access.

[DigiGuy]

And so .....

Skynet is alive and self aware.

[Anonymous Coward]

Come on

I'm sure the fees to transfer your bit of data are negligible for a business. Azure is a fine offering, why pick a small point to diss them on?

[Anonymous Coward]

Same old same old

Here have a hit for free. We will work out the costs later. (said the drug seller)

Now what is different here?

IMHO Azure is the new Sharepoint. Easy to get your stuff into it. Getting it out again is a real PITA especially if your admins take it into their heads to move your folders around behind your back.

Anon coz I have to use this crap everyday. Now they want to move our sharepoint into the cloud. Guess what Mr Balmer, there is a revolution coming. There are now better alternatives to your brand of prison slop thank you very much.

[Anonymous Coward]

"Getting it off? Not free"

Thank you for highlighting that salient fact in your subtitle.

As the Russians say, "It's a kopeck to get in, but a rouble to get out".

[Alan Bourke]

Is it just me, right, ...

Or is anyone else remaining unconvinced that eventually all computing infrastructure will move to the cloud?

[Steve Davies 3]

re Is it just me, right, ..

Nope it is not just you who is thinking this.

Sure there will be a niche for 'the cloud' but there is no way this is the saviour for all IT Systems.

Look at the case only a few days ago where the FBI went into a hosting company and removed racks of kit. They didn't care if the systems they stole were breaking the law or not.

If you put stuff off your premises into a hosted cloud you risk losing everything if this happens. Then your whole business could go tits up in a few days.

Yeah I'm a 'Grumpy Old Git' but I've been around long enough to have seen overblown hype like this before.

[peter 45]

so? change its use

Don't think cloud, think cheap off site data archiving.

[Pat 4]

What?

In the future... ALL infrastructure will be in the cloud?

You mean like, in the future, everybody will choose to rent space for their data, rent their applications, rent their processing power, rent their terminal servers and rent the pipe they'll use to access all of it. All at a cost higher than actually purchasing and owning their servers and data.

And everyone will be happy, when they have a problem, to call half way around the world and speak at someone with an accent so think communication is almost impossible, and who can't get a grasp of what your problem actually is?

Really?

Cause right now I'm having to deal with only one of my applications being hosted "in the cloud"... and I'm seriously considering quitting because I just can't take this cr@p anymore.

I cant imagine the entire IT world doing that.

[Kevin Bailey]

'but these only run Windows server.'

They really just don't get it do they?

I might have a need to deploy Window apps for clients - but I don't use Windows Server. So Azure is not an option.

[Anonymous Coward]

Eagles said it best

"You can checkout anytime you like.. but you can never leave!"