The build stage encapsulates all activities involved in determining requirements, implementing the requirements and packaging the requirements.

• Development
• Private preview (alpha)
  • nda
  • high level clients normally have access
• Public preview (beta)
  • customers may test and play with the service
  • customers offer feedback
  • no sla
  • out of support
  • limited region availability
  • limited functionality
  • pricing changes
  • direction changes
  • portal previews: e.g. "https://preview.portal.azure.com"
• General availability (ga)
  • microsoft keep improving features as preview