Microsoft makes available its Azure-based Hadoop service | ZDNet

See Announcing Windows Azure HDInsight: Where big data meets the cloud on The Official Microsoft Blog for more details about the Azure version of Hadoop

"Microsoft's cloud-based distribution of Hadoop -- which it has been developing for the past year-plus with Hortonworks -- is generally available as of October 28.
Microsoft officials also are acknowledging publicly that Microsoft has dropped plans to deliver a Microsoft-Hortonworks developed implementation of Windows Server, which was known as HDInsight Server for Windows. Instead, Microsoft will be advising customers who want Hadoop on Windows Server to go with Hortonworks Data Platform (HDP) for Windows."

Microsoft makes available its Azure-based Hadoop service | ZDNet