Microsoft has now added the ability to the Azure cloud computing service that really separates it from the other brands of cloud computing solutions. This addition will give Azure users the ability to launch a virtual server running an explicit instance of Windows Server 2008 R2. Developers can now configure the instance any way they want to. This may seem like a minor addition to the old generic Windows-Server-like app execution environment Azure has offered in the past but make no mistake, this is a huge difference.