SQL Azure is a cloud-based relational database platform that allows organizations to provision and deploy database solutions more efficiently. It provides benefits such as reduced infrastructure costs, improved scalability, and self-managing capabilities, enabling businesses to adapt to growing data management demands. SQL Azure is built on Microsoft SQL Server technologies, offering features like geo-distributed data centers for enterprise-class availability and security.

1. Technical Datasheet
Agility in the new economy
Transform your business with SQL Azure.
SQL Azure is a cloud-based relational database platform built on Microsoft®
SQL Server® technologies. With SQL Azure, you can easily provision and deploy
relational database solutions to the cloud.
Trends in Data Management
Organizations are seeing a proliferation of data as requirements to access and
manage information increase.
“The cost of DBMS
Data management is a growing component of IT spend. New database software has increased
deployment is proliferating, creating management challenges. New types of data-
driven web applications are emerging, business data needs are more demanding,
by 18% or more per year
and data management challenges are more complex. More and more applications in recent years, putting
need to integrate among disparate systems, frequently outside organizational further pressure on
boundaries. enterprises to look for
As data proliferates and complexity grows, organizations are facing shrinking alternate solutions.”
budgets and pressures to do more with reduced resources. Businesses are looking Database-As-A-Service
for ways to lower their upfront capital expenditure while quickly scaling to meet
Explodes On The Scene,
growing demands.
Forrester Research,
Database-as-a-service, provisioned in the cloud, provides a compelling alternative Inc., July 31, 2008
to meet these growing demands.
Introducing SQL Azure
Expand your business. Implement new web-based solutions or extend
existing applications to the cloud with a reliable and trustworthy database
platform. “A new technology
SQL Azure, the cloud-based relational database platform built on Microsoft® SQL is emerging called
Server®, can allow you to cost-effectively provision database infrastructure for new database-as-a-service
applications, application functional testing, or collaboration. Take advantage of a
globally distributed data center that provides enterprise-class availability, scalability,
(DaaS), and this
and security features with the benefits of a self-healing, low maintenance database technology provides a
infrastructure. database on demand at
a low cost.“
Database-As-A-Service
Explodes On The Scene,
Forrester Research,
Inc., July 31, 2008
SQL Azure, a core component of Microsoft’s Windows Azure platform

2. Technical Datasheet
Agility in the new economy
Transform your business with SQL Azure.
Benefits of SQL Azure
Gain efficiency, reduce infrastructure costs, and scale to business needs with
SQL Azure. Business benefits:
● Pay as you consume
Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) ● Power of choice to use
on-premise of off-premise
Help save money by using commodity hardware to interact with SQL Azure and models as needed
eliminate additional database-related hardware costs. Save time and management ● Business-ready SLAs you
can trust
costs with self-healing features of the service that remove the need for maintenance.
Speed time-to-deployment with auto-provisioning.
Unlimited, Automated Scaling
“SQL Azure allows me
Provision only the data storage you need, and then grow your application to cope to leverage my existing
with increased utilization. SQL Azure is built on a geo–distributed data center with
virtually unlimited scalability to handle bursts.
data management
solution and take
Reduced Deployment Time advantage of my team’s
Use the relational database services provided by SQL Azure to build the next skills. I am using a
generation of Internet services and implement centralized data storage for multiple hybrid approach of on-
users, applications, and devices without the complexities of provisioning servers. premise and off-premise,
Self Managing, self healing and can transition easily
among those models
SQL Azure provides self management features that remove concerns about
managing data recovery and availability. as my business needs
change.”
Virtual Data Access SQL Azure Customer
SQL Azure offers near anytime access to your data. Using your credentials, almost any
device with an Internet connection can access it.
Developer Agility How to get started
● Work with your trusted
Using SQL Azure ensures developer agility and quick deployments through a familiar Microsoft Partner to identify
data access interface and a relational data model. a pilot project
● Ask your partner about our
special consumption offers
Based on SQL Server
● Have your partner sign you
SQL Azure is based on the solid foundation of SQL Server. SQL Azure uses the same up for the upcoming SQL
Azure CTP (August 2009)
core database features as SQL Server; making it easy to develop an application in an
here
on–premise SQL Server instance and then deploy the database schema and data to
● Get more information
the SQL Azure. about SQL Azure here
including the latest news,
Business-Ready SLAs feature developments and
Whitepapers.
Use the proven Microsoft data platform infrastructure and large geo–dispersed ● Read the SQL Azure FAQs
data centers. SQL Azure’s relational database architecture extends to the cloud to here
include security, compliance, high availability, and network encryption. Multi-tenancy ● Learn about SQL Azure from
provides the required isolation between tenant data while simplifying provisioning the community (forums,
blogs) here
and management.