Although researchers are able to collect, store, and analyze tremendous volumes of data, technological and storage limitations can severely impact the speed at which these data can be analyzed. A new algorithm developed by Microsoft Research, FaST-LMM, runs on Windows Azure in the cloud and expedites analysis time—reducing processing periods from years to just days or hours. An early application of FaST-LMM and Windows Azure helps researchers analyze data for the genetic causes of common diseases.