Microsoft moves Skype on Windows Azure
The VoIP service is now managed through the Windows Azure cloud platform. SkyDrive is also expected to change in the same infrastructure.
Windows Azure is the platform that allows other companies to offer services and websites to their customers. The same Microsoft leverages cloud infrastructure for Office 365, Xbox One, and, recently, also for Skype. After removal of supernodes and updating of its architecture, the messaging service has now been moved to Azure. The confirmation came from Vice President Scott Guthrie, during New Developer Conference in London.
About a year ago, the Redmond Company (Microsoft) had begun to implement a change in the architecture of Skype. To ensure a greater service reliability and compatibility with mobile devices (not originally planned), Microsoft had gradually replaced the supernodes P2P (users’ computers) with dedicated servers. More recently, in late September, the leaders had declared that more than 50 billion minutes of Skype-to-Skype calls are handled by Windows Azure. Do not know the exact timing, but now the VoIP service is performed entirely on Azure.
Guthrie has also confirmed that it is currently in the process of dismantling the old server to SkyDrive. The cloud storage service will be moved entirely on Azure. All the new SkyDrive storage is now on Azure. Currently, the cloud platform manages much of the back end of One Xbox and Xbox Live, in addition to authentication, security and access control features of Office 365. Other services, including SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, Lync Online, Bing, Hotmail / Outlook.com and parts of Xbox Live, they still have their dedicated servers in the datacenter.
Source: zdnet
