The Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) cloud computing platform Azure has hit 31,000 customers. That is a 55% increase from the 20,000 customers Microsoft had in July. Some of Microsoft’s Azure customers include T-Mobile, Xerox, and Travelocity. “One of the things we’re seeing is cloud computing is moving away from a buzz word to chest beating to something with real business benefits,” stated Microsoft general manager of the Server and Tools business Amy Barzdukas. [The Seattle Times]

Amy Barzdukas, a general manager of Internet Explorer at Microsoft claims that Firefox’s one billion downloads claim is unlikely true.

“As with any marketing statement, I’d encourage people to be somewhat skeptical about large number claims. It’s an interesting number and I have not seen the math [but] how many internet connected users are there? 1.1 billion, 1.5 billion, something in that area.”

However Mozilla did not claim that one billion people in the world are using Firefox, they are counting downloads based on repeated downloads, updates, and people with multiple computers.  This why the number does not seem too far-fetched to me.

[via Guardian/Gizmodo]