Foreword

The cloud moves fast.

Welcome to Windows Azure BizTalk Services, a key part of Microsoft's cloud integration vision. With BizTalk Services, customers can connect their businesses through process automation and integrate the Web with their existing backend systems on premises; all from a flexible and scalable rock-solid platform managed using industry-leading tools.

With integration, it's not a cloud or on-premises decision, it's both. This book provides you with a great introduction to BizTalk Services, a fantastic new cloud service from Microsoft designed to help you get started quickly and productively in the shortest time possible. Jon and Karthik have done a great job in making the material easy to grasp for newcomers to the Microsoft stack as well as those experienced in BizTalk Server looking to start using BizTalk Services.

I really liked Karthik's and Jon's writing style and found this book an excellent introduction to BizTalk Services. Unlike other books, this doesn't attempt to be a huge reference full of extraneous details. Instead, it offers a relatively quick and concise read that details how to use the most important features. The result is a very approachable book that provides a great way to learn BizTalk Services and how to immediately take advantage of it.

Hold on and enjoy the ride!

Scott Guthrie

Corporate Vice President, Windows Azure, Microsoft Corporation

March 2014