The cloud is a fantastic place to incubate a tech startup. There are zero computing infrastructure costs and setup times are nil. And, of course, the cloud offers true elasticity and scalability. That's why Microsoft is offering $60,000 worth of cloud services to startups through their BizSpark Plus program.

Who's eligible? Any member of TechStars, Global Accelerator Network, Seedcamp, Dogpatch Labs and a host of other tech startup organizations. 

The cloud just makes sense for startups. Most go from virtually zero web traffic to LA-style gridlock overnight. The Windows Azure cloud effortlessly scales to handle the demand. And it's a lot cheaper than ramping up extra servers.

The platform is also flexible—it works with virtually any programming language and platform, including Java, PHP, .NET node.js. 

If that wasn't enough, Microsoft will connect startups with their enterprise and mid-market customers.

This is only the latest BizSpark program. It has been supporting startups for years—and introducing them to .NET and other Microsoft technology, of course. This new Azure program starts today, but won't last forever. The first year of Azure services (up to $60,000) is free. The second year is half-price.