Ankr Inc. – a Web3 Infrastructure company – announced today a partnership with Microsoft Corp. to host enterprise level blockchain nodes through Microsoft Azure. Azure provides centralized cloud services for developers and builders of decentralized applications.
Microsoft Azure Marketplace offers easy-to-purchase solutions. Microsoft’s Azure Marketplace is provided by Ankr, which provides its expertise on the blockchain infrastructure. Azure Marketplace lets customers purchase the blockchain infrastructure just like other cloud services.
Web3, or decentralized Web, allows users to build non-traditional financial systems such as gaming and retail decentralized. Web3 uses the blockchain to build its network infrastructure.
Web3’s blockchain nodes form a critical component. They act as communication hubs, keep copies of the distributed ledgers and verify the validity of the transactions that are added to Web3 networks. Nodes confirm the authenticity and validity of newly added blocks of transaction.
Web3 application developers can track, read and write applications’ performance in real-time using running nodes. The system increases reliability and allows the operations team to access, update and troubleshoot decentralized applications.
Chandler Song is chief executive and cofounder of Ankr. Song explained that this step is crucial for bringing Blockchain technology to an industry which has been growing in the digital sector. The partnership marks a major milestone not just for Ankr. It also shows the advancements made in decentralized web integration.
Microsoft Azure infrastructure and Ankr will allow builders to build enterprise-grade, fully managed nodes that can be tailored to their specific needs. Advanced telemetry allows clients to monitor and optimize their blockchain nodes’ speed.
Ankr supports currently over 38 blockchains. There are 38 blockchains supported by Ankr, including Ethereum Smart Chain, BNB Smart Chain or Polkadot.
“Many developers and organizations are exploring how Web3 can help solve real-world business challenges, and our partnership with Ankr will enable them to access blockchain data in a reliable, scalable, and secure way,” Rashmi Misra, Microsoft’s general manager of AI and emerging technologies.
Infura Alchemy Blockdaemon is a popular company that offers similar services. Cloud hosting is available on their enterprise-grade cloud. Google Cloud also offers Node Engine, however it’s limited to Ethereum Nodes. The cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase launched Node in September as part of Coinbase Cloud, which provides enterprise-grade managed node hosting for developers.
Ankr hopes, through a partnership with Microsoft to offer a solution for hosting enterprise nodes. The developers will have the ability to develop blockchain-based software without the need to manage the infrastructure.
Song said that the result of this partnership will be a new age in which Web3 and large companies build applications using blockchain technology.