Building on the recent announcement of strategic partnershi between Microsoft and Oracle; today we are making a  number of popular Oracle software configurations available through the Windows Azure image gallery.  Effective immediately, customers can deploy pre-configured virtual machine images running various combinations of Oracle Database, Oracle WebLogic Server, and Java Platform SE on Windows Server, with licenses for the Oracle software included. During the preview, these images are offered for no additional charge beyond the regular compute costs. After the preview period ends, Oracle images will be billed based on the total number of minutes VMs run in a month; details on the VM pricing to be announced at a later date.  

These ready-to-deploy images enable rapid provisioning of cost-effective cloud environments for development and testing as well as easy scaling of enterprise Oracle applications. With Oracle license mobility, existing customers who are licensed on Oracle software can now deploy on Windows Azure and take advantage of powerful management features, cross-platform tools and automation capabilities.

Additionally, Oracle now offers Oracle Linux, Oracle Linux with Oracle Database, and Oracle Linux with WebLogic Server in the Windows Azure image gallery for customers who are licensed to use these products.

To get started with Oracle on Windows Azure, visit www.windowsazure.com/oracle and the technical walk-through documentation for Oracle Images. Don’t forget to tell us what you think at @WindowsAzure!