Microsoft (News - Alert) this week rolled out a number of significant updates to its Azure cloud computing service, headlined by a built-in preview of the now open-source Apache Hadoop data analysis platform.

The Azure refresh is a clear response to other major moves in the cloud space, including recent groundbreaking acquisitions made by SAP and Oracle, which each spent billions this fall scooping up cloud companies like SuccessFactors and RightNow Technologies (News - Alert). The move should also help Microsoft better compete with the likes Salesforce.com and Amazon, two mainstays in the big data space.

The Hadoop preview, first promised by Microsoft in October, will bolster Azure's big data capabilities by enabling developers to conduct analyses of unstructured data through familiar tools like Excel and PowerPivot. The preview, which will be rolled out to limited number of customers based on usage scenarios, will also give developers access to new JavaScript libraries and a new set of installers designed to simplify setup and deployment.

In addition, Microsoft is providing developers with a software development kit for Node.JS, a JavaScript software tool used to deploy business-critical applications to the cloud.

"We understand that there are many different technologies that developers may want to use to build applications in the cloud," Gianugo Rabellino, Microsoft's senior director of open-source communities, noted in a blog post. "Developers want to use the tools that best fit their experience, skills, and application requirements, and our goal is to enable that choice."

Another key benefit to the new-and-improved Azure platform is its size. Microsoft has tripled the maximum database size in SQL Azure from 50GB to 150GB in yet another attempt to entice big data users to jump on board. The move will also reduce the effective price per gigabyte by two-thirds for the largest SQL Azure databases.

Other notable additions include a few ease-of-use features, such as a streamlined billing process, real-time usage visibility and the inclusion of a free 90-day risk-free trial.

Gartner (News - Alert) Group's David Smith told Total Telecom that the update should help Microsoft put up a better fight in the cloud space, allowing them to inch "toward more directly competing with Amazon."

Click here to give the new Azure a try.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Rich Steeves