Microsoft released a new plug-in for WordPress that allows WordPress developers/users to use Windows Azure storage to host media content over cloud. The plugin, developed by Microsoft, is now available as an open source project from the WordPress repository: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/windows-azure-storage/.
The Windows Azure Storage plugin for WordPress allows developers running their own instance of WordPress to take advantage of the Windows Azure Storage services, including the Content Delivery Network (CDN) feature. It provides a consistent storage mechanism for WordPress Media in a scale-out architecture where the individual web servers don’t share a disk. The plugin uses the Windows Azure SDK for PHP to handle the interactions with Windows Azure.
Once WordPress Windows Azure plug-in installed and configured on WordPress, a Windows Azure icon on WordPress post editor.
To include an image in the post, just click on the “Azure” icon. The following screen will pop up:
From here you simply pick the image you want to include.
When the plugin is installed, you can choose to have all media managed through the WordPress Media Management interface or during imports to also go to Windows Azure blob storage. Then it shows up in the regular list of media elements and not just under the Azure button.
The plugin is now available from the WordPress repository: http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/windows-azure-storage/. Register for your Windows Azure account (try for free till July 31, 2010 with the Introductory Special), install the plugin, and get started!
Microsoft has sunk to a new low . . . using “trial traps” . . . yes one must contact customer support to cancel a trial. There’s plenty of opportunity to sign up for more services but they make it very hard to cancel. I called Microsoft support . . . all the options for Azure support were available EXCEPT the one to cancel . . . it says they are CLOSED! I’m just going to tell my cedit card company to charge back all Microsoft fees and move on to open source . . . there’s plenty of free software out there that works suffciently well given the cost. Azure is lack luster to say the least and high priced given the limited services. BTW: I was a devoted Microsoft customer for 15 years . . . I’m also a MCSE . . . but I’m giving up on Microsoft because they really are indifferent, at best, to the impact they have on customers.