Here is a very exciting offer for all of the developers out there, or anyone looking to start utilizing or evaluating the Microsoft Windows Azure platform for their solutions.  Microsoft is currently offering a promotion that will allow you to try out the Microsoft Windows Azure platform for 30 days absolutely FREE!  That’s right, there is no cost and no credit card is needed to take advantage of this offer.  The one thing you will need though is the promo code (which I may just share with you here in this post, so keep reading). 

So what will this Windows Azure platform 30 day pass get you?  Well, the offering may vary some from region to region; however, here is a quick overview of what is included in the United States, as an example:

• Windows Azure
  • 4 small compute instances
  • 3GB of storage
  • 250,000 storage transactions
• SQL Azure
  • Two 1GB Web Edition database
• AppFabric
  • 100,000 Access Control transactions
  • 2 Service Bus connections
• Data Transfers (per region)
  • 3 GB in
  • 3 GB out

Oh, and did I mention the cost to get access to this for 30 days is FREE?!  One quick note on the 30 day test pass, at the end of the 30 days, all of your data will be erased (it’s a 30 day test pass, so you are testing it out for yourself), so please ensure you move your application and data to another Windows Azure Platform offer if you would like to continue using the Microsoft Windows Azure platform beyond the 30 day test pass timeline.

Ok, so here’s the part you have been looking for, the “How do I get it?” for the FREE 30 day pass to test the Microsoft Windows Azure platform:

1. Go to the Windows Azure Platform 30 day pass site
2. Select your country from the drop down list
3. Enter in promo code: TBBLIF
4. Click Submit

In addition to the free 30 day Windows Azure platform pass being offered by the team right now, there are a bunch of other Windows Azure resources available to you, some of which are on the free 30 day Windows Azure platform pass page (which you may completely miss in your haste to enter your promo code and get started with your free pass) and some I have posted.  As such, I am including them below in the hopes you will take a minute to view them and utilize them in conjunction with your free Windows Azure platform 30 day pass:

• Windows Azure Jump Start series, plus more Azure resources for you
• Windows Azure platform offers
• Learn why Windows Azure is a great cloud computing platform with these fun videos
• Learn how to put up a simple application on to Windows Azure
• Learn about SQL Azure Database video
• Learn about PHP on Windows Azure
• Take the Windows Azure virtual lab
• Read about Developing a Windows Azure Application
• View the series of Web seminars designed to quickly immerse you in the world of the Windows Azure Platform
• Download Microsoft Web Platform Installer
• Download Windows Azure Tools for Microsoft Visual Studio
• Download the Windows Azure Platform Training Kit
• Visit the Windows Azure Platform partner page
• Visit the Cloud Developer Center on MSDN

Now go get started with your free Windows Azure platform 30 day pass and enjoy!

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman – Follow me on TWITTER, LinkedIn, and RSS and see “What I’m thinking”
Global Partner Experience Lead
Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights