Pilot project involves 2,000 schools

Microsoft is planning to launch its cloud computing service in Thailand in the second half of this year, according to the company's locally-based national technology director, Prasopchoke Pramongkit.

Cloud computing, in simple terms, can be seen as offering computing as a utility service, like electricity, where instead of purchasing expensive capacity and software, clients pay only for what they use by connecting with a cloud platform via the Internet.

In an initial stage, the company will begin a pilot project in collaboration with Sripratum University in which students at 2,000 schools around the country will be able to sign-on to Live ID, allowing them to experience Microsoft's Live service on a cloud platform.

As well, the company will help the Revenue Department by deploying a cloud computing platform to facilitate an extended phase of the department's existing Web-based taxation services.

"There is a plan for some cloud services with the Revenue Department in the near future," Prasopchoke confirmed.

The cloud-service launch is part of Microsoft's business strategy of moving beyond being "a software company" to become "a software-plus-service company", offering customers more buy-and-build choices in technology investment.

In order to take its place in the trendy cloud computing arena, Microsoft has already introduced Windows Azure, a cloud services operating system that serves as the development, service hosting and service management environment for the Azure Services Platform.

It provides developers with on-demand computing and storage to host, scale and Web-application management via the Internet through Microsoft data centres. Windows Azure is an open platform that will support both Microsoft and non-Microsoft languages and environments.