I don't think Azure needs to run Java to succeed, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. And they've been pretty out-front with supporting Java for a while: * Open so

I don't think Azure needs to run Java to succeed, but it certainly wouldn't hurt. And they've been pretty out-front with supporting Java for a while: * Open source SDK for Java (and Eclipse): http://www.windowsazure4j.org/ http://www.windowsazure4j.org/ * Gigaspace running their products on Azure: http://www.gigaspaces.com http://www.gigaspaces.com * More info (admittedly from a UK-based Azure consultant): http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/09/java_on_windows_azure_cloud/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/09/java_on_windows_azur... To me, this sounds like a pragmatic continuation of their 'big data' plans on Azure -- gotta go after what the current user base is used to using -- and probably compliments their own Dryad project (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/dryad/ http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/dryad/)