On Tuesday, Microsoft announced another expansion for its growing Azure line of services. The latest addition to the Azure family is the Azure App Service. The service combines the functionality of several existing Azure services into one convenient package. Customers will be able to develop Web Apps, Mobile Apps, API Apps, and Logic Apps in one central location.
Customers will find that Web Apps and Mobile Apps offer the same functionality as Windows Azure Websites and Windows Azure Mobile, respectively, but with access to features that were previously unavailable, including production slots and web jobs. The API Apps and Logic Apps, however, offer entirely new functionality. API Apps allow customers to easily create and deploy APIs across multiple languages, while Logic Apps are powerful tools that can automate processes across multiple APIs and services, such as Office 365 or Dropbox.
Azure Machine Learning screenshot. Image source: Microsoft News Center
By combining the old and the new, Azure App Service customers will be able to develop apps that interact across many different platforms, offering unprecedented power and reach. For those who want to take universal apps to the next level in both business and personal applications, the Azure App Service seems positioned to do just that. For a taste of what it has to offer, why not read up on an earlier version of the Web Apps feature in Windows Azure Websites Succinctly by Kyle Burns? It will provide you with an introduction to Azure’s conceptual goals and general functions, and may spark your interest in the more developed new version. What do you think about the new service? Let us know in the comments below.
