DotNetNuke announced that it has signed a strategic alliance with Microsoft to offer its social content management system (CMS) through Microsoft's Windows Azure cloud. Agreement terms include an investment from Microsoft to support engineering, sales, and marketing over the next four years. Microsoft has also agreed to provide technology assistance throughout the duration of this partnership.
According to DotNetNuke, the Windows Azure–based service provides users with the power and flexibility of their CMS and doesn't require users to install and manage software and hardware that's needed to run the platform. In addition, the solution offers several features that help organizations develop rich social websites, including:
- Organizations select a service plan, and a new DotNetNuke installation and website are automatically created.
- Users have access to all of DotNetNuke's CMS features, such as site management, social collaboration, granular security, analytics, and mobile site management.
- Users can build and customize websites by purchasing applications and design templates through the DotNetNuke Store.
- Existing sites can be imported to Windows Azure or exported to another hosting provider.
"Social experiences are ideal for cloud computing; they are consumed across many devices and browsers and they also need to scale based on fluctuations in usage," said Kim Akers, general manager of Microsoft. "With Windows Azure, developers can build social experiences that take advantage of a reliable cloud back end and a scalable way to manage and continually refine their sites. DotNetNuke's Windows Azure–based offering is designed to make it easy for organizations to build and deploy websites."
Users canregister for the beta version of the company's cloud offering, which will be able in Q4 2012. The service is expected to be generally available in early 2013, with service plans for midsized businesses and enterprises. Visit DotNetNuke's website for more information on the company's social initiatives.
