With the release of the new version of the server operating system
Windows Server 2012 R2, many experts want to test the new system functions. The good news is that you can do this without installing it on your local computer using virtual machines in the
Windows Azure cloud .
Just use ready-made images in the virtual machine gallery to deploy a new server based on Windows Server 2012 R2 in a few minutes:

Developers of cloud applications based on Windows Azure Cloud Services can also take advantage of the new OS, as well as the new
.NET 4.5.1 with the new version “OS Family 4”.
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Another
great news of the Windows Azure platform was the announcement of lower prices for virtual machines with a large amount of RAM for both Windows and Linux deployments. The reduction reaches 22%, the comparative table is shown below:

This significant price reduction will have a positive effect on the cost of heavy cloud solutions that require large amounts of memory within a single virtual machine (including SQL Server, Oracle, SharePoint, BizTalk Server, SaaS solutions, any Linux solutions).
useful links
Below you will find links to resources that will help you in using the Microsoft cloud platform:
And if you are already developing on Windows Azure or want to find the developers of your service, visit
appprofessionals.ru .
We will be happy to answer your questions at
azurerus@microsoft.com . And we are waiting for you in the
Windows Azure Community on Facebook . Here you will find experts (don't forget to ask them questions), photos, and lots and lots of news.
Cloud OS Summit
Dear developers, system administrators, heads of IT departments and groups of software developers! We are pleased to invite you to the
Cloud OS * Summit conference, which will be held in
Moscow on November 27, 2013 .
Cloud OS Summit is the largest cloud conference of Microsoft in Russia. By participating in the event, you will learn all about the newest versions of Microsoft products - Windows Server 2012 R2, System Center 2012 R2, SQL Server 2014, Visual Studio 2013, and Windows Azure services. Together with experts from Microsoft and its partners, you will discuss scenarios for applying the latest products to solve the problems of your business.
Participation in the conference is free! It is necessary to
register . The number of places is limited, in a hurry to take your own.