Although Microsoft registered the Web site for its new Windows Azure more than 14 years ago, it has not trademarked the name of its new cloud-based operating system, Windows Azure, Internet searches revealed Monday.
According to searches conducted by Computerworld, Microsoft has not applied for a trademark for either "Windows Azure" or "Azure Services Platform" with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Microsoft used both names to describe its software-plus-services technology.
[ Discover the top-rated IT products as rated by the InfoWorld Test Center. ]
Microsoft's own trademark list also omits Azure, though that list has not been updated since earlier this month.
Other Microsoft technologies, including Windows Vista, DirectX, Hyper-V and Surface, however, have been trademarked by the Redmond, Wash. company.
Earlier Monday, Ray Ozzie , the company's chief software architect, unveiled Windows Azure as Microsoft's cloud-computing platform. Ozzie said that work had started on Azure just before Amazon.com Inc. launched its own Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). The two platforms, EC2 and Azure, will likely compete for developer attention.
Microsoft will release a preview of Azure at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC), where Ozzie debuted the technology. He did not spell out when Azure would be generally available, however.
But while Windows Azure doesn't show up in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's database, Microsoft more than planned ahead when it registered the "azure.com" Web site.
A search of registered sites found that Microsoft grabbed azure.com -- the site it also unveiled Monday that hosts information about the new platform -- in October 1994. The site is currently registered at GoDaddy.com, a cut-rate domain registrar that currently is running a $9.99 per year special.
Microsoft also owns the "azure.net" domain, which it registered in November 2003.
Get the independent advice and expertise you need to support a virtual workforce.
The increase in Linux popularity has increased the frequency and sophistication of malware attacks. Read this 2 page white paper now to learn how you can protect your Linux environment with real-time protection that is certified by all major Linux vendors.
Download now »Ensuring acceptable application delivery will become even more difficult over the next few years. As a result, IT organizations need to ensure that the approach that they take to resolving the current application delivery challenges can scale to support the emerging challenges. This handbook elaborates on the key tasks associated with planning, optimization, management and control and provides decision criteria to help IT organizations choose appropriate solutions.
Download now »A common misconception is that mid-range storage requirements are dramatically different than that of a larger enterprise. Mid-range storage users may require less capacity, but they have similar functionality and management requirements. This ESG paper examines mid-range storage needs and reviews a new solution that adjusts size while retaining value, performance and functionality.
Download now »
The list of vendors offering hosted Microsoft Exchange is practically endless, and seems to grow longer every day. This whitepaper provides information to help you identify the issues that are most important to you and offers a guide to help you narrow the field.
Download now! »
This paper examines the potential value of hosted infrastructure and applications for SMBs and discusses the role that Apptix has in providing hosted services to this market segment.
Download now! »
Hosted services enable companies of all sizes to outsource their IT needs and spend less time worrying about technologywhile avoiding having physical servers in their offices. This paper was designed to provide education into the causes of hostaphobia, as well as detailed options for treatment.
Download now! »