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SQL Services is part of the Azure Services Platform: an internet-scale cloud computing and services platform hosted in Microsoft data centers. Currently, SQL Services offers relational database service called Microsoft® SQL Data Services. Other services will be available in future.
SQL Data Services provides Internet-facing database and advanced query processing services and is the ideal solution for customers building new applications or integrating with existing investments into the cloud.
Cloud-based relational database solution relying on existing developer skills and familiar Transact-SQL syntax
Easy, low-cost provisioning with High availability and Data Recoverability
Pay-as-you-grow service model
Business Ready SLAs
Helps enable developers to quickly build or extend applications to run in the cloud environment
Helps maintain low-cost management with a highly scalable infrastructure
Helps maintain business-ready reliability, security features, and availability for continuity
"Initial reaction is that Microsoft SQL Data Services (SDS) is a great start and offers a way for Microsoft startups to leverage the storage and bandwidth in a scalable way. We are interested in using it to potentially offload bandwidth spikes that occur around delivering new versions of our software to clients. SDS looks like a potential way to handle these spikes in usage in a cost-effective manner."
—Chris Kinsman,VP Development,Vertafore/AMS Services