On Monday, Microsoft announced that it would retire the Microsoft Azure Blockchain Service. This is a hosting solution for enterprise blockchain Quorum to enable network deployment and manage a consortium. Microsoft is directing clients towards the ConsenSys Quorum Blockchain Service.
ConsenSys stated that both companies are working together to offer the new Quorum Blockchain Service. Clients have to migrate by September 10, when the original service will be terminated. And as of this week, no new members can be added to a consortium.
“ConsenSys’ collaboration with Microsoft is designed to offer customers and business partners an easy path to building multi-cloud blockchain services with additional permissions to ensure transaction privacy,” says the ConsenSys statement.
“Expanding our relationship with Microsoft helps organizations take advantage of ConsenSys Quorum and Quorum customer support to offer users an enterprise-grade managed blockchain service that can be effortlessly set-up and deployed,” said Joseph Lubin, founder & CEO of ConsenSys.
Meanwhile, many enterprise blockchain consortia either get help in network management from big consultancies or work with specialists such as ConsenSys offshoot Kaleido or Chainstack.
Existing ConsenSys Microsoft relationship
Last year, JP Morgan transferred responsibility for goQuorum and the Quorum brand to ConsenSys. The Quorum brand now has two flavors, the original JP Morgan goQuorum and the Hyperledger Besu flavor.
ConsenSys has an existing relationship with Microsoft, which is a member of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance. Last March, EY, ConsenSys and Microsoft jointly unveiled the Baseline Protocol, which aims to make enterprises more comfortable using a public blockchain with added privacy.
