Free Windows Azure Offering Extended Through March 31, 2011

For the next five months customers will be able to test Microsoft’s Cloud platform without playing a single cent to the company.

This because the Windows Azure Platform Introductory Special has been extended until March 31, 2011.

The offering involves the option to test not only the Windows Azure operating system but also the software giant’s Cloud relational database, SQL Azure, also for free.

“This promotional offer enables you to try a limited amount of the Windows Azure platform at no charge.

“The subscription includes a base level of monthly Windows Azure compute hours, storage, data transfers, AppFabric Access Control transactions, AppFabric Service Bus connections, and a SQL Azure Database, at no charge,” a member of the Windows Azure team revealed.

Customers will still have to buy the Windows Azure Platform Introductory Special from Microsoft, but as long as their usage does not exceed certain limits, they will not be charged.

The software giant is after all charging customers for Windows Azure usage on a pay as you go model.

According to Microsoft, each month customers will get to leverage 25 hours of a small compute instance, 500 MB of storage and 10,000 storage transactions for Windows Azure, but also 100,000 Access Control transactions and 2 Service Bus connections for Windows Azure AppFabric, 1GB Web Edition database (available for first 3 months only) for SQL Azure and no less than 500 MB in and 500 MB out Data Transfers (per region).

“Any monthly usage in excess of the above amounts will be charged at the standard rates. This Introductory Special offer will end on March 31, 2011 and all usage will then be charged at the standard rates,” Microsoft said.

Information on the Windows Azure Standard Rates is available here.