In just 17 steps you can start your free Azure account giving you 12 months of free popular services and a € 170 credit you can use in the first 30 days after activation.
If I want to talk about Azure and PHP apps, it would be convenient to have a free account with which you can try out my examples.
Before we get started, there are a few things you must have:
- A phone number that can receive phone calls or text messages
- A valid credit card (Visa, American Express, or MasterCard)
Sign up for a free Azure account
Go to azure.microsoft.com and click in the top right on Free account.
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This will take you to a page to get 12 months of free services. Click on the Start for free button.
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The site will ask you to log in if you already have an existing Microsoft account or to create a new one if you do not have one. I’m going to create a new one.
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I sign up with an email address I own and click next.
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I now have to provide a password. I recommend using a password manager to create a unique, strong password. I’m using 1password, but other are just as good.
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Next Micrsoft needs to know my country and my birthdate (???). The first I can understand for optimal geolocation presence, but a birthdate seems to be odd here.
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Once you click next, you need to check the inbox of the email address you have provided. A verification email was sent to it. The security code in bold is important.
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Enter the verification code in the web form and click next to continue.
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To prevent malicious intent on account creations, you need to solve a puzzle first.
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The puzzle is a rotation challenge to ensure you are a human. It will also measure the time it took you to complete the puzzle, so don’t rush it.
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Once the system confirms you’re human, you need to enter some more information. Complete your profile details first.
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The next phase is to verify you via a phone call or a text message.
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Next verification step is to verify you have a valid credit card.
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Last step in this process it to accept terms and conditions before you can actually sign up.
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While Microsoft is processing your information and is setting up your Azure account, they ask for your feedback.
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Once everything is verified and confirmed, you can now start your Azure experience.
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You will be taken into the Azure Portal Quickstart Center where you can find more information about the services Azure has to offer.
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In my opinion these are way too many steps and is Microsoft asking more information than they should for a “try before you buy” of their Azure services.
[…] you don’t have an Azure account yet, create one. Look at my post Create a free Azure account for details on what to expect and a step-by-step guide to create a free […]