Using StrikeIron in Microsoft's Azure DataMarket

Data quality is imperative to improving, reaching and providing the highest level of service to your customers. StrikeIron, the leader in cloud based data-as-a-service, and Microsoft have teamed up to provide StrikeIron’s leading data in the Azure DataMarket. The Azure DataMarket provides a platform that is easy to integrate into applications and Web sites.

Several of StrikeIron’s Web services are now commercially available for use within the Microsoft Azure DataMarket. Using the Azure DataMarket, you can purchase, access, and integrate StrikeIron’s leading data quality solutions.

Connecting to StrikeIron Web services via the Azure DataMarket makes it easy to use these services within major Microsoft applications such as Microsoft CRM, Microsoft ERP, the Azure Cloud platform, and Office applications such as Excel.

StrikeIron Web services available in the DataMarket are also pre-integrated into Microsoft products such as SQL Server, Visual Studio, and others.

The ability to access StrikeIron Web Services from within Microsoft’s Azure Cloud platform can significantly enhance many applications and open up a broad range of new possibilities.

Documentation

 

US Address Verification:

 

    

 

Sales and Use Tax Rates Complete:

 

    

 

 

Getting Started

In order to start using StrikeIron Web services from within the Windows Azure Data Market, you must first establish an account with Microsoft from within the Windows DataMarket Website. This requires obtaining a Windows Live ID.

Once you have a DataMarket account, you can obtain an access key for each StrikeIron service, including trial access. This will enable access to the StrikeIron services via the DataMarket (we’ve been working with Microsoft to handle all of the back-end integration).

When you are ready to purchase your subscription to the StrikeIron services via the DataMarket, simply provide your credit card information to Microsoft on the DataMarket platform.

Please note: It is not possible to use DataMarket access keys directly with the StrikeIron Web services, or your StrikeIron UserID and Password with DataMarket services. They are not interchangeable.

 

Accessing the Services

 There are three ways to access the StrikeIron services via the Windows Azure DataMarket:

1.  Using the Online Interactive Query tool:  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff717671.aspx

This an ideal starting place to ensure that you have licensing set up properly and will help you understand the behavior of the services and the data available within them.

Here is sample output from a successful query by zip code of the Sales Tax service:

2. Programmatically from within Visual Studio or any other development environment that supports either basic HTTPS authentication or OAuth.

StrikeIron services are considered “Fixed Query” services within the Azure DataMarket. For step-by-step instructions for using a Fixed Query service within Visual Studio, please see the following:  http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg312154.aspx

Here is sample code for integrated StrikeIron Sales Tax Rates into an application using the Sales Tax Rate endpoint within the Windows Azure DataMarket (your code might vary):

      public LookupTaxRates()

      {

        serviceUri = 

         new Uri("https://api.datamarket.azure.com/Data.ashx/StrikeIron/SalesTaxComplete/");

        context = new SalesTaxContainer(serviceUri);                                                                                        

context.Credentials = ;new NetworkCredential(" ", "

           <your account key as copied from DataMarket>");

      }

To integrate US Address Verification, be sure to use the endpoint for that service:

https://api.datamarket.azure.com/Data.ashx/StrikeIron/USAddress/

3. From within an application that has already integrated one of the StrikeIron services within it, such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, an application from a Microsoft ISV, or any other application.

In this case, provide your Windows Azure DataMarket credentials for the StrikeIron service as directed by the application provider. Contact us at support@strikeiron.com if you need assistance.

FAQs

Why don't my StrikeIron UserID and Password work on the Azure DataMarket?

UserID and Password for the Azure DataMarket and StrikeIron are not interchangeable.

Why don't my Azure DataMarket LiveID and Password work on StrikeIron Web services?

Live ID and Password for the Azure DataMarket and StrikeIron are not interchangeable.

My Azure DataMarket Account is not working, who do I contact?

Please contact Microsoft support for any integration or account issues you are having with your Azure DataMarket account.

Are the services offered by StrikeIron on the Azure DataMarket and the StrikeIron website the same?

Yes, for the services offered on the Azure DataMarket, the underlying service and the results will generally be consistent across both platforms, except for a few platform-specific differences. Azure DataMarket is another convenient platform in which our customers can use services provided from StrikeIron's cloud platform. 

Not all of StrikeIron's services are available on the DataMarket platform today but we will be increasing the number of services offered on DataMarket in the future.

Do you have any additional sample code for the Azure DataMarket?

Currently we do not have any additional sample code. Please check MSDN for additional DataMarket sample code.