Zend and Microsoft have just made it easier for PHP developers to write web applications targeting Windows Azure with Zend’s announcement today of  the availability of Zend Framework 1.10. With this framework, developers can use the new Zend_Service_WindowsAzure component to easily call Windows Azure APIs from their PHP applications and leverage the storage services, including Blob Storage, Table Storage and Queue Service, offering them a way to accelerate web application development and scale up on demand. 

Jean Paoli, general manager Interoperability at Microsoft, underscored the importance of the news this way, “PHP developers find the Windows Azure platform compelling, Microsoft’s decision to contribute PHP-based Windows Azure components to Zend Framework helps demonstrate Microsoft’s commitment to openness and interoperability by providing greater choice and opportunity for Microsoft customers and partners.”

This news is also very well aligned with Windows Azure Interoperability approach www.windowsazure.com/interoperability as well as the overall interoperability effort Microsoft is conducting around PHP (see and ) This particular project started last year when we announced the Windows Azure SDK for PHP CTP release and upcoming support in Zend Framework.

Additional resources available for developers include the Windows Azure SDK for PHP, which is already prepackaged in Windows Azure tools for Eclipse, and the Simple Cloud API.