If the major infrastructure-as-a-service providers have their way, many of tomorrow’s blockchain applications will run in the public cloud. Last week saw Microsoft Corp. bring this goal a step closer by introducing a set of development tools designed to ease the implementation of distributed ledger functionality on Azure.

One of the main components is an application building block called a Cryptlet that can be used to handle the data produced as part of blockchain transactions. For instance, if a firm wants to timestamp important payments, then the technology makes it possible to automatically retrieve calendar data from a pre-specified source. The feature is set to be joined by a number of security capabilities geared towards the banks and other highly regulated organizations that are currently deploying blockchain technology.

Bracket Computing Inc. is targeting the same segment with its workload protection software, which makes it possible to package cloud applications into so-called Cells that provide a layer of defense against attacks. The system received new encryption functionality against the backdrop of Microsoft’s news that provides the ability to keep data scrambled while it’s traveling in and out of a Cell. The traffic can also be regulated using access controls to ensure that users only view information necessary for their work.

The new functionality rounds out an already impressive lineup of security features that includes, among other things, a logging console for tracking the behavior of Cells. Providing operational visibility is a focus Bracket shares with LogicMonitor Inc., an infrastructure monitoring outfit that raised $130 million in funding from Providence Equity Partners LLC last week. The capital will be used to widen the adoption of its namesake cloud service, which enables IT professionals to visualize the activity in their data centers using real-time dashboards.

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