What is Windows Azure’s interoperability position?
As part of Microsoft’s continued commitment to interoperability, the Windows Azure has been built from the ground up with interoperability in mind. As an open platform, Windows Azure offers choices to developers. It allows them to use multiples languages (.NET, PHP, Ruby, Python or Java) and development tools (Visual Studio or Eclipse) to build applications which run on Windows Azure and/or consume Windows Azure from any other cloud or on premise platform. With its standards-based and interoperable approach, Windows Azure supports multiple Internet protocols, including HTTP, REST, SOAP, and XML which are key pillars to enable data portability.