Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Windows Azure Use Case: Social Media

by BuckWoody via Carpe Datum on 10/25/2011 3:01:17 PM

I try to be as “real world” as possible in these blog entries, because you can get other kinds of documentation elsewhere. I do a lot of “Architectural Design Sessions” (ADS) with folks that are looking at Windows and SQL Azure to see if it fits their needs - which should be the *only* reason to consider a platform.

My friend Bhanu from Alaska Airlines joined us here in Redmond for one such design session.  They wanted to leverage Facebook, but not expose their entire network to that platform. They needed something that would not only scale up quickly, but scale down as well. Windows Azure has a full Software Development Kit (SDK) for Facebook (read more on that here) and the team at Alaska Airlines was able to move from conception of the application to delivery in a very short window. Also, this allowed them to start small (and pay small) and still meet demand when it happened. This is a perfect example of using something where it makes sense.

Last week he mailed me this:

“

With the new app, users can view a map populated with photos of their Facebook friends located in cities Alaska Airlines flies and, with a click, view the lowest one-way fares or mileage award levels to the closest airport near their friend's hometown. To purchase a ticket, users can simply click on 'Shop Now'

and they are automatically redirected to www.alaskaair.com.

To access the app, users simply visit Alaska Airlines' Facebook page and select the FlyingSocialTM application from the link on the left side.

Why Did Alaska Choose Azure?

Due to the uncertainty around the demand for the application, the team chose to utilize Microsoft Azure. Azure offers the flexibility of starting small and scaling on demand. In addition to the scalability benefits, Azure also offered a more simple environment to manage, relying on Azure's platform as a service model, the team was less concerned with spinning up new servers or installing required software, patches, etc. and focus instead on delivering the required features. This allowed the team to get the application to the market faster.

More About Alaska's Innovation Efforts

FlyingSocialTM with Alaska Airlines was created by Alaska Airlines' Innovation Labs and is part of the airline's ongoing effort to make travel easier and more fun using innovative technology. This focus helps us to look forward to and experiment with new ideas and concepts. We run brain storming sessions and workshops to create rapid prototypes and test feasibility of an idea.

FlyingSocialTM was product of that process.”