Great interview - you guys hit on multiple topics that could probably be dedicated to an entire show.  As a developer in a large organization we have developers of every skill level, writing in every language, on multiple platforms...  I'd guess that a lot of large agencies - besides ourselves - *try* to standardize on one technology, but you always have some cross-platform activity.  How will Azure help?  I instantly think of Web services, but will there be other core technologies that will be enlisted to help solve the problem of interoperability and data "sharing" in the cloud?

 

Perhaps the most important point...  How can MS convince managers that data/services/etc are totally secure?  I've been reading some about MS Geneva Server to allow disparate agencies to authenticate users from across separate active directory stores, for example.  So, what if I wanted to create a secure app in the cloud that would only be used by a select number of people from agencies, A, B, C, X, Y, and Z, for only a short duration of time, of say 6 months.  The app needs to be secure.  It needs to scale (busy one week, not so busy the next).  And it needs to reach users regardless of their organizations platform, security, etc.  Is Azure the answer?

 

~Dizzy