Microsoft

I have written in some detail about Microsoft’s big data strategy in Microsoft’s plan for Hadoop and big data. By offering its data platforms on Windows Azure in addition to Windows Server, Microsoft’s aim is to make either on-premise or cloud-based deployments equally viable with its technology. Azure parallels Amazon’s web service offerings in many ways, offering a mix of IaaS services with managed applications such as SQL Server.

Hadoop is the central pillar of Microsoft’s big data approach, surrounded by the ecosystem of its own database and business intelligence tools. For organizations already invested in the Microsoft platform, Azure will represent the smoothest route for integrating big data into the operation. Azure itself is pragmatic about language choice, supporting technologies such as Java, PHP and Node.js in addition to Microsoft’s own.