Microsoft’s Satya Nadella this week made several announcements related to the company’s Azure cloud computing service. First, Microsoft will discount its prices, in some cases matching the fees charged by its chief competitor — Amazon Web Services. The price changes take effect November 1. Companies looking to save even more will have the option to sign Enterprise Agreements, multi-year contracts for cloud computing services.
In addition, the company is rolling out a new government version of Azure, which will meet the security and regulatory requirements of the federal government.
Rumors suggest that Nadella, who oversees Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise groups, may be in the running to replace retiring CEO Steve Ballmer as head of Microsoft.