-->
Save your FREE seat for Streaming Media Connect in November. Register Now!

Windows Azure Media Services Now in General Availability

Article Featured Image

Windows Azure Media Services, Microsoft's end-to-end platform for creating video-centric online experiences for all types of audiences, has reached the general availability stage. Scott Guthrie, the Microsoft corporate vice president responsible for the Windows Azure platform, released details on his blog, and also offered examples of how Azure Media Services could be used. This release of Azure Media Services is backed by an enterprise service level agreement (SLA) and a new media services dev center.

The platform is targeted at a range of clients, including broadcasters, network operators, video-on-demand services, and enterprise developers, simplifying the process of creating a media solution that streams to a range of desktop, living room, and mobile devices. Developers can use REST APIs or .NET or Java SDKs to create automated workflows. Windows Azure Media Services handles the jobs of encoding and delivering the files.

The platform includes a space-saving new feature called dynamic packaging. Rather than encoding each asset in multiple versions for multiple end users, Windows Azure Media Services handles the task of converting multi-bitrate MP4 files into multi-bitrate HLS or Smooth Streaming assets in real-time on the origin server. The process saves storage and time, Guthrie notes.

"With today's release, you now have everything you need to quickly build great, extremely scalable, end-to-end media solutions for streaming on-demand video to consumers on any device," Guthrie says.

Streaming Covers
Free
for qualified subscribers
Subscribe Now Current Issue Past Issues
Related Articles

Microsoft Previews Azure Media Analytics Platform at NAB

A modular suite of components lets Azure customers gain more information from their videos, such as detecting faces and even emotions, and reading the text from slides.

Microsoft Azure Media Services Adds HD Live Streaming

Telestream Wirecast, Newtek Tricaster, and JW Player now integrate with the cloud-based Azure platform.

Behind the Scenes With Windows Azure Media Services: Case Study

The 2012 Olympics, NBC Universal, and the European Tour have all learned the benefits of migrating to the cloud with Windows Azure.

Diving in Deep with Digital Rapids Kayak and Azure Media Services

Digital Rapids transcoding and workflow platform complements Windows Azure Media Services.

NAB Report: Microsoft Offers a Window into Azure Media Services

London Olympic Games will be an early showcase for the services, which offers custom media solutions for companies with widespread delivery needs.

The Future of Microsoft Windows Azure

A Streaming Media West presentation explains Microsoft's cloud-computing platform and gives a look at where it's headed.