Microsoft Retires Azure Blockchain
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Microsoft recently announced that Azure Blockchain will be retired on September 10, 2021. Microsoft credited industry changes and declined interest in the product as the main reasons for discontinuing the marketing of Azure Blockchain. Microsoft partners with ConsenSys to offer a migration path for existing customers. ConsenSys’s Quorum Blockchain Service claims to be fully compatible with the Azure Blockchain service.
Based on recent changes in the blockchain industry and the growing business needs of our customers, we are collaborating with ConsenSys, one of our blockchain technology providers, to offer a managed offering of their blockchain ledgers on Azure. As a result of this, combined with lowered interest in our existing offering, we are retiring Azure Blockchain Service on 10 September 2021.
Microsoft Is Closing Down Its Azure Blockchain Service In September
May 14, 2021
Microsoft is shutting down its Azure Blockchain Service on September 10, 2021, after being in service for around six years.
As of May 10, 2021, the company has stopped supporting new deployments or member creations.
However, it will continue to support existing deployments until September 10, 2021.
Microsoft initially offered Azure’s Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) in 2015, with an offering on the Etherum Platform in partnership with ConsenSys.
It was only in 2019 that the company launched the fully-managed consortium network, Azure Blockchain Service for the formation, management, and governance of consortium blockchain networks.
Microsoft has provided no explanation about the closure of Azure Blockchain. As per the official Microsoft Azure Blockchain Migration guide updated on May 10, 2021, it says that:
Microsoft is closing down its Azure Blockchain Service
Microsoft has announced that its Azure Blockchain Service is to close down this fall. The end date for the complete closure is September 10, but the company has already put a stop on new deployments and signups.
No big announcement has been made about the closure of the service which has been around since 2015 when Microsoft partnered with ConsenSys. The decision leaves existing users with just four months to find an alternative home for their ledgers.
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Microsoft has not given any reason for shutting down Azure Blockchain which will inevitably lead to speculation. Until the company does offer up an explanation any requests for details have garnered no response – we can only assume that the decision stems from a lack of customers, increasing costs, or general streamlining.