Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) continues to deliver key innovations and solutions for businesses and developers alike. The company claims it has been working side-by-side with businesses and partners to build and deliver blockchain technology to enterprises, governments, and the general population.
The company introduced Blockchain as a Service (BaaS) in November of last year. Powered by Azure servers, Microsoft offers the possibility of deploying single-click virtual servers pre-installed with software to create and run Smart contract applications (Dapps).
Project Bletchley Will Bring Blockchain Technology to Consortiums
Microsoft has reorganized all of its Blockchain-based solutions under one roof. Project Bletchley outlines Microsoft’s vision for an open, modular blockchain fabric powered by Azure.
Bletchley is an answer to several demands and requests made by Microsoft’s clients, including:
- Platform openness.
- The improvement and incorporation of features like identity, key management, privacy, security, and interoperability.
- Increased performance, stability, and scalability.
- Consortium blockchains, which are members-only, permissioned networks for consortium members to execute contracts
Marley Gray, director of Cloud solutions for Microsoft wrote:
In Project Bletchley, Azure provides the fabric for blockchain, serving as the cloud platform where distributed applications are built and delivered. Microsoft Azure’s availability in 24 regions across the globe, hybrid cloud capabilities, extensive compliance certification portfolio, and enterprise-grade security enable blockchain adoption, especially in highly regulated industries like financial services, healthcare and government.
Microsoft’s infrastructure is open to supporting new Blockchain protocols. Specifically, the company said that Azure is the home of UTXO-based protocols like Hyperledger, and more advanced ones like Ethereum’s account-based model.
Blockchain Middleware and cryplets are new concepts introduced in Project Bletchley. Microsoft says that Azure will include identity, operations management, data and intelligence services like analytics and machine learning.
These technologies will ensure the secure, immutable operation that blockchain provides, at the same time, deliver the business intelligence and reporting capabilities business leaders and regulators demand.
Cryplets will allow blockchains to securely interact with external data sources, Gray said:
Cryptlets, a new building block of blockchain technology, will enable secure interoperation and communication between Microsoft Azure, ecosystem middleware and customer technologies. Cryptlets function when additional information is needed to execute a transaction or contract, such as date and time.
More information about this new Microsoft initiative is available in the official press release and the full whitepaper of Project Bletchley.
