Windows Azure is a cloud computing platform from Microsoft that allows adding and removing computing capacity on demand and paying per use. This allows scaling up applications as demand grows without needing to forecast capacity needs. Using cloud computing avoids issues with on-premises deployment like needing to over-provision for peak loads or having unused capacity when demand is low. The cloud provides shared hardware resources that are managed remotely in data centers, allowing users to pay only for what they use rather than maintaining their own infrastructure.
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