Today, we're making third-party application and data services available directly from the Windows Azure Management Portal, with the announcement of the Windows Azure Store (Preview).

The Windows Azure Store provides third-party application services and data (add-ons) that complement and extend core Windows Azure services. Developers can access and manage the add-ons directly from the Management Portal, which means that discovery, billing, and management are well integrated with the Windows Azure management experience.

Through the Windows Azure Store, you can:

• Choose from popular application services, including AppDynamics (monitoring and scaling as a service), MongoLab (MongoDB as a service), SendGrid (email delivery as a service), and more.
• Find the data that your app needs from data providers like Dun & Bradstreet (business insights), Loqate (worldwide address verification and cleansing service), StrikeIron (phone number verification service, sales and use tax rates), and more.
• Manage it all from the Management Portal. Because the store’s UI is integrated with the portal, it’s easy to find, buy, and manage the services and data that you need, directly from the portal. Integrated billing means that your store purchases are added directly to your Windows Azure account. Connection strings and sample code are provided, so you can get started quickly. And usage data for the apps and data services you buy is available directly within the Windows Azure Management Portal.

To see details about the providers available in the store, see Windows Azure Store. And if you’re an app or data services provider and are interested in offering your services through the Windows Azure Store, please contact us.