Microsoft launches Windows Azure

Microsoft made its entry into cloud computing with Windows Azure, an internet version of Windows that ran from the company’s own data centers. Originally designed for developers to deploy apps in the cloud, Azure became a core Microsoft service that grew to include hundreds of applications. Under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, who made the cloud a priority, Azure established Microsoft as a leader in cloud computing and reached a $20 billion annual run rate in 2018 that outpaced the company’s goals.