1. Windows Azure is a cloud computing platform that provides a hosted environment for building, deploying and managing applications and services through a global network of Microsoft-managed data centers.
2. The platform provides compute, storage and networking services that together support development and hosting of applications scaled for the internet.
3. Key components include the Azure Services Platform for .NET and SQL-based services, Live Services for user-centric experiences, and support for building applications that integrate on-premises and cloud-hosted services using standard protocols.