For over four decades now Microsoft has been empowering developers with various tools that would enable them to create software and provide services with efficiency.
Part of that process is Microsoft’s introduction to Azure Blockchain Services.
Any Blockchain development services would benefit immensely with the Azure blockchain development kit that Microsoft has introduced. This is one quite a step that would lead developers to provide blockchain services and enable them to develop various apps on the blockchain platform.
In this article, we will look into how Azure Blockchain services will save time and cost for the developers as well as enterprises. But before going into that detail lets have a brief overview of what is Blockchain and blockchain as a service. Why companies that provide custom software as a service are implementing blockchain?
What Is Blockchain?
A growing list of blocks that uses cryptography for linking is a blockchain. Each of the blocks has a cryptographic hash of the previous block along with a transaction date and time stamp. Blockchain has been designed in a way that modification to the data is impossible.
Many wallet app development companies use blockchain technology because ‘it is an open, distributed ledger that can record transaction between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way’ according to Marco Iansiti and Karim R. Lakhani.
What Is Blockchain as a service (BaaS)
Most of the best web development company are offering blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) because it allows the customers to leverage cloud-based solutions. With BaaS while users can build, host and use their own blockchain apps and other blockchain functions along with managing smart contracts the service provider can administer the required tasks and activities so that the infrastructure runs smoothly and efficiently. Such advantages offered by the blockchain ecosystem have led to the rise of blockchain development services across multiple businesses.
Azure Blockchain Services Saves Time and Cost
Since the benefits of blockchain have become evident among the business owners and developers many are eager to adopt the technology.
However, developing an app with blockchain can be quite challenging even for the best web development companies because it involves technical complexities. Operational overheads like configuring, operating and maintaining the infrastructure often pose a hassle in developing apps with blockchain.
To resolve the problems and issues faced by blockchain developers and for the purpose of enterprises being able to access the technology easily, Microsoft has launched Azure Blockchain services.
Azure Blockchain services have developed the Azure Blockchain Development kit that would allow companies that offer custom software as a service to integrate blockchain technology with Microsoft and other third-party SaaS. The service is built on Microsoft’s serverless technology so that the developers can utilize the blockchain templates and Azure Blockchain Workbench that also integrates some of the Azure services like:
- Key Management
- Off-chain identity and data
- Monitoring of data
- Messaging APIs into a reference architecture
These will allow the developers to build blockchain-based applications at a much faster speed and with fewer roadblocks.
The three key features that ensure Azure Blockchain service will save time and money for both developers and enterprises are:
1. Connecting Interfaces
For offering end-to-end blockchain solutions, developers are required to provide organizations, people and devices to connect to blockchain from heterogeneous user interfaces. Hence the application should be able to connect with:
- SMS and voice interfaces
- Inbound and outbound SMS
- Internet of Things (IoT), which includes IoT Hub and IoT Central
- Mobile clients
- Backend systems and data
- Web clients
- IVR
- Xamarin mobile client for Android and iOS
- Dynamics integration via Common Data Service (CDS)
- Bots and assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, Cortana, etc.
Read the blog- How Can AI & Blockchain Be Employed To Enhance Mobile UX
2. Integrating Data and Systems:
It is essential that multi-party facilitation can be done and blockchain helps with smart contracts. The technology allows an enterprise to deliver real-time transparency of events and states who are part of the contract. As part of end-to-end solution blockchain also requires integration with data, software, and media even if they are ‘off chain’ It is crucial that external update and event reflects on smart contracts. The smart contract state and event changes in relations should trigger updates of data and action to’ off chain’ systems and data.
Two areas that require integration are:
• Documents and Media
Despite not belonging to a chain most business require processing documents and media hence they need to be integrated. With years of experience, Microsoft has been able to achieve that so no tampering of the records can be done.
• Smart Contract Interaction
Enterprise integration is messy but Microsoft has been able to get blockchain off the whiteboard and into the production, hence dealing with how counterparts interact.
3. Deploying Smart Contracts and Blockchain Networks
The Blockchain Application Development Kit ingrates the following:
- Legacy application and protocols: Sending and receiving files via FTP, email delivery of data, processing comma separated files
- Data: SQL, Excel, Azure Seach, and PowerBI
- SaaS: SharePoint, Outlook, Dynamics, and Gmail
- Registries: custom registry can be generated with an accelerator and any scenario can be accommodated with registry item smart contracts.
These features ensure that any company that offers wallet app development with blockchain technology will save time and cost. Azure Blockchain service will help more developers and enterprises to embrace blockchain technology based app development. As a result, Blockchain can soon turn into a mainstream technology among many enterprise software development companies. Azure Blockchain services are the step in offering end-to-end blockchain technology to enterprises that will ensure fast, affordable and accessible applications.