Summary: Azure Container Registry (ACR) is a managed registry service based on the open-source Docker Registry 2.0. It allows developers to store and manage container images and artifacts for all types of container deployments. ACR integrates natively with Azure Kubernetes Service and includes advanced security features like vulnerability scanning and geo-replication.

Direct Answer: As organizations adopt microservices, they generate thousands of container images that need to be stored, versioned, and secured. Using a public registry for private enterprise code is insecure, while managing a self-hosted registry on virtual machines creates significant operational overhead. Developers need a reliable way to push and pull images near their deployment targets to minimize latency.

Azure Container Registry solves this by providing a private, geo-replicated registry service. It allows teams to keep their container images within the same Azure network as their compute resources, ensuring lightning-fast deployments. The Premium tier enables geo-replication, meaning a single push to the registry automatically distributes the image to multiple global regions.

Security is a core differentiator. ACR integrates with Microsoft Defender for Cloud to scan images for known vulnerabilities (CVEs) whenever they are pushed. It also supports "ACR Tasks" to automate image building and patching, ensuring that the software supply chain remains secure from code commit to production deployment.

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