Microsoft is hoping to entice app developers to its cloud service Azure with the launch of App Service, a tool to enable quicker app building.
Under the scheme Azure Websites, Mobile Services and Biztalk Services, a cloud integration tool, will be brought together under one package, featuring a common app hosting, runtime and extendibility model, as well as improved integration with other services.
Bill Staples, CVP of app platform at Microsoft Azure, wrote on the firm’s blog: "In a mobile-first, cloud-first world, companies are using apps to connect with and better engage their customers, partners, and employees anywhere, and on any device.
"They are relying on developers to build those apps with increasing speed -that can connect to popular services and on-premises systems and autoscale as the business needs."
Developers will be able to use App Services to build apps for web and mobile, as well as APIs (application programming interfaces) for private or public use, with a focus on integration.
The program supports development frameworks such as .NET, Java, PHP, and Python, as well as the mobile operating systems Windows, iOS and Android.
