Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

There was, as many now know, a massive announcement at the PDC 2008 – one of the biggest announcements was definitely Windows Azure.

People flocked to the Connect site to register in the hopes of actually seeing, or getting access, to this new technology.

But it seems people flocked there in vain – a large part of those who registered their interest hasn’t gotten their tokens yet.

Those that did get them seem to find it very, very hard to get around to using that information. Well they first have to find it but it’s spread out over different sources and SDKs. Which also isn’t available from a single location.

I’m also waiting…and so are many others.

When you initially registered for the program at Connect, you had to answer some questions – one of those were when you intended to release an application or service using Azure. Well, it seems that those who stated they intended to do it within a month would have gotten access real fast – those who didn’t know, well you just have to wait your turn.

Another point is also that those who attended PDC would (possibly, this is hearsay) have gotten priority as well.

Everybody from the programs seems to say that you just have to wait, it’ll come. But as a professional geek it’s frustrating to have this new shiny technology revealed, yet you can’t get access to it. It’s like the day before christmas..you remember that…you’re 7 years old and you just know you’re going to get that bike because you saw it in the garage when dad wasn’t looking…and you know it’s been wrapped because mom bought 60 meters of wrapping paper…and now you have to sleep (early as well) so you can be fresh for tomorrow when the pressies will be opened.

Problem is, you just can’t fall asleep so the night is the longest in history – swear that there must be at least 7 nights rolled into one here!

Some of the people from the product and platform teams have asked people what they thought – especially around the very loosely coupled information stream..a little here..then a little there..And people have responded that all the information is good, but it’s too hard to find something concrete.

I’m a big fan of decoupling, but information shouldn’t be decoupled.

I’d be very keen to find out who’s gotten access and how they managed it…

Published Sat, Nov 8 2008 11:07 by Brian Madsen
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Comments

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Saturday, November 15, 2008 9:21 AM by Sriram Krishnan [MSFT[

Hi - I work for the Windows Azure team and I'm the token/invitation master in sorts :). I hear your feedback and I apologize for the wait.

Right now, we are prioritizing PDC attendees alone. Anything else you hear is just that - hearsay and not true. We are constantly sending out invites and adding capacity so I need you to be a bit more patient with all the wrapping paper :-)

I would strongly urge you to play with our SDK. Thats how I develop all my apps and with the developer fabric, I really don't need cloud access until the time comes when I need running at a publically accessible end point.

Feel free to mail me at sriramk@microsoft.com if you need something. And to preemptively stave off mails, don't mail me about getting a invite since I can't help there :-).

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Saturday, November 15, 2008 7:05 PM by Brian Madsen

Hey Sriram,

trying to be as patient with the wrapping paper as i can - but you are talking about Uber Geeks here.

everybody's excited about it, simple as that.

Thanks for coming along and clarifying things - PDC attendees only at this stage.

Possibly it would have been a good idea to have communicated that to start with, rather than invite people to register. Anyways, i've sent you an email to clarify as well.

Cheers!!!

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Tuesday, December 02, 2008 4:18 PM by Jason Lavigne

Any luck??  I am still waiting and I am working on the Hands on Labs, and the SQL part (what I have been waiting for) requires access.  Still waiting, dying to know how the SQL Services work.  Please MS, let's have access soon or my head may explode!!!  He he.  Fun to see this much excitement over a MS product, I like it.

Cheers.

Jay

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Tuesday, December 02, 2008 6:18 PM by Brian Madsen

Hey Jay,

yeps - got mine already (with a lil' help from my friends) so all's good.

as Sriram says, it can definitely take a couple of weeks for the invite codes to come through.

how long have you waited? also, CHECK your spam folders/junk mail folders regularly!!

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Thursday, December 18, 2008 8:16 AM by Rob

Well, it's December 19th and I'm still waiting for the Azure token.  Been waiting about a month now..

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Sunday, January 04, 2009 3:02 AM by Carl

Hi,

I think MS has missed the point. If you want people to adopt a new idea, then at least give them access to do so.

I have just registered yesterday for tokens, and after reading a few comments, I'm unsure if I can be bothered to wait.

Why didn't MS just give registered users x (2-5) tokens from the moment they registered?

Azure sounds great, and I have a project that would really benefit from being moved onto the Azure platform, and as these need to be delivered asap (the project could only be delayed IF I could demo a reason for delay, ie. a full release of the Azure platform) I feel that my oppuntunity to use this technology has been set back.

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Thursday, February 12, 2009 11:21 AM by Dean Chalk

What a shame, after hours of trying to get SQL 2008 express installed (didnt liek my full developer copy) + all of the SDK's installed (multiple registry errors - SubinAcl to the rescue), I get right to the end, create a project in VS2008, click on publish and then find out I need tokens.

Re-registered for tokens, kept clicking on my send/receive email button, then googled this post, and stopped holding my breath.

So that was all a waste of time then :(

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Thursday, February 12, 2009 3:42 PM by Brian Madsen

Hey Dean,

sorry to hear your dissapointment...it certainly wasn't a waste of time as you'd have to get that work done anyways ;) see it as the glass is half full now instead :)

they're pushing out the tokens faster and faster these days (or so i've been told) as the massive influx of requests has naturally dropped off as more and more people has been issued with tokens.

the timeframe for getting the tokens were really only that long at the beginning - we have to remember that MSFT had to serve up thousands upon thousands of these tokens, which also meant the environments had to be facilitated as well.

keep faith - Azure rocks and you'll grow to love it!

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Saturday, February 14, 2009 6:27 AM by Bebrs

Oh Dear!

After 5 hours of downloading+installation works (Framework,SQL,ASP,AzureSDK,documentation studying, HelloWorld, Sign on to Azure, n-forms etc.) I've got "0 projects available" and this invitation f-... d-ment!

Ok, I am here and I know the problem, I will be patient, but I will say anyway, that...

There is Google App Engine. Maybe not so cool as MS development platforms, but easy to deploy, to use and for small apps very nice solution. Sometimes "Notepad solutions" are better, because the resource in this case is storige in the web+domain name+possibility to develop apps for free, but with trust to hosting service.

Have a good day, actually the rest of it :)...

# re: Waiting for Windows Azure Tokens? seems many are in the same boat

Wednesday, February 18, 2009 6:05 AM by Bebrs

I have received Token Code today, 4 days of waiting only.