Oct 5, 2010 08:33 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft is offering developers in Romania a chance to win o total of $15,000 in prizes via a new contest focused on building Cloud applications for Windows Azure. At the same time, the company is also offering resources and training aimed to get local devs to embrace the Cloud.

The Cloud School has been introduced and can now be accessed by developers interested in building projects for Windows Azure, Microsoft’s Cloud platform.

The promise from the software giant is that developers will be able to test drive Windows Azure free of charge and participate in the competition that could have them win $4,000, and an all expenses trip to the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Los Angeles between 10-14 July 2011.

Zoli Herczeg, Evangelist, Microsoft România notes that the company has the necessary resources to train no less than 500 developers in October and November 2010.

Microsoft Romania is looking to catalyze the development of 100 applications designed specifically for the Cloud by the end of this year, Herczeg added.

The company is also offering training events in five of the country’s main cities, including Iasi (7 – 8 October), Bucharest (14 – 15 October), Timisoara (19 October) and Galati (22 October) with the training for Cluj already wrapped up.

Herczeg opines that evaluation of Windows Azure is opened virtually to all that are interesting in taking the company’s Cloud platform out for a spin.

However, only members of the Microsoft Partner Network (at least Registered Member), BizSpark, or WebsiteSpark will be able to participate in the Windows Azure app contest.

Similar competitions are taking place in the Czech Republic, Greece, Poland and Hungary, and the first prize winners will have a chance to meet at the 2011 Worldwide Partner Conference in LA with Microsoft paying for their travel expenses (approximately $6,000 for each winner).

Microsoft is already accepting application submissions to the Windows Azure contest as of October 1st, 2010. Devs will have until 31 January 2011 to enter their app, after which no more submission will be considered.