This week Microsoft, along with partner Synteractive, created a buzz at the Web 2.0 Expo in New York when they discussed how a combination of cloud computing and social media can play a huge role in the upcoming 2012 election process.
Microsoft’s Townhall platform enables citizens to participate in the electoral process through online media. The code for Townhall is provided by Microsoft as open source software, and it utilizes the Windows Azure cloud platform. The first time the House Republicans used it, it drew 400,000 users in the first week.