Which of the following is the cloud computing platform and infrastructure service created by Microsoft for building, deploying, and managing applications in the cloud?

Introduction / Context:
Major technology companies offer cloud computing platforms that provide virtual machines, storage, databases, and other services over the Internet. Knowing which company operates which platform is an important part of modern computer awareness. This question specifically asks about the cloud platform developed by Microsoft, which competes with offerings from Amazon and other vendors.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on a cloud computing platform and infrastructure created by Microsoft.
• Options mention Simple Storage Service, Atmos, OpenStack Swift, and Microsoft Azure.
• We assume familiarity with basic vendor names such as Amazon and Microsoft.
• The answer should identify a complete platform, not just a storage service.

Concept / Approach:
Microsoft Azure, originally launched as Windows Azure, is Microsoft’s official cloud computing platform. It offers infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and many software as a service offerings. Simple Storage Service, often abbreviated as Amazon S3, is a cloud storage service provided by Amazon Web Services, not Microsoft. Atmos is an object based storage solution from EMC. OpenStack Swift is an open source object storage system used by many providers but is not a Microsoft product. Only Microsoft Azure directly matches the description of a cloud computing platform created by Microsoft.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify which option explicitly mentions Microsoft or a known Microsoft brand.Step 2: Recognise that Microsoft Azure is widely advertised as a cloud platform for running Windows and Linux workloads.Step 3: Recall that Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3) is part of Amazon Web Services, which is a competitor to Microsoft in the cloud market.Step 4: Note that Atmos and OpenStack Swift are storage offerings associated with other vendors or open source projects.Step 5: Conclude that Microsoft Azure cloud platform is the only option that fits the description of a Microsoft created cloud computing platform and infrastructure.

Verification / Alternative check:
Official Microsoft documentation and marketing materials describe Azure as their flagship cloud platform. It includes services for virtual machines, app services, databases, analytics, and more. If you visit Amazon Web Services documentation, you will see that Simple Storage Service is part of the Amazon ecosystem, not Microsoft. OpenStack documentation shows that Swift is open source and vendor neutral. These sources confirm that Azure is the Microsoft specific answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Simple Storage Service is clearly labeled as an Amazon Web Services offering and is primarily a storage service rather than a full platform on its own. Atmos is associated with EMC and is focused on scalable object storage solutions for enterprises. OpenStack Swift is part of the OpenStack project, which is used by many cloud providers but is not owned or created by Microsoft. Therefore, none of these alternatives satisfy the requirement given in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates mix up vendor names because all these services exist in the same cloud computing space. Others may think any cloud related name could belong to Microsoft. To avoid confusion, remember key associations: Azure for Microsoft, Amazon Web Services for Amazon, and OpenStack for open source community driven infrastructure. Keeping a simple mental map of these relationships is very helpful for competitive exams.

Final Answer:
The correct choice is Microsoft Azure cloud platform (formerly Windows Azure), the cloud computing platform and infrastructure created by Microsoft.