Free Windows Azure Offer Upgraded with 750 Small Compute Hours

Microsoft continues to offer customers the option to try out Windows Azure free of charge before committing to the Cloud platform, but as of this week, the Introductory Special was upgraded to offer no less than 750 Small Compute hours.

Those already familiar with the Windows Azure Introductory Special know that the software giant was providing 750 hours of an Extra Small Compute Instance and 25 hours of a Small Compute Instance for the duration of the 90 days of the free trial.

There are a series of billing updates to Windows Azure planned to go live as of October 1st, 2011, detailed by the Redmond company earlier this week.

But while Microsoft will only start to take the modifications into account when charging Windows Azure customers as of October, those that test the Cloud platform can already enjoy the additional benefits.

“Current Introductory Special offer customers and [new] customers who sign up for this offer prior to October 1 will receive both 750 extra small compute hours and 750 small compute hours for the months of August and September to ensure maximum value and flexibility in advance of this enhanced offer,” Microsoft noted.

“On August 1, we increased the number of small hours included in this offer from 25 to 750. For the months of August and September, Introductory Special users will get both 750 extra small compute hours and 750 small compute hours. Once small hours and extra-small hours are swappable beginning on October 1, Introductory Special will only include 750 small hours.”

But of course, customers will also continue to have the option to use Extra Small Compute hours, and their number will only increase as of the start of October a ratio of three extra small compute hours for every small compute hour.

This will entitle customers to as many as 2,250 extra small compute hours or 750 small compute hours as of October.