SQL Azure: It's What SQL Services Used to Be

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 10 Jul 2009

Microsoft has decided to put the SQL Services brand to rest and replace it with something new; and the new brand name the Redmond-based software giant came up with is SQL Azure. As of this week, SQL Services will no longer be called by that name; instead they will be called SQL Azure.

According to Microsoft, nothing apart from the brand name has changed. The SQL platform is the same, the development team is the same, and the innovation driving SQL Services forwards is the same. Since SQL Server is the data platform for Windows Server, it only made sense to re-brand the relational database platform for windows Azure as SQL Azure.

“Microsoft is updating the branding for SQL Services and SQL Data Services. Effective immediately, SQL Services will be called Microsoft SQL Azure, and SQL Data Services will be Microsoft SQL Azure Database. This name change doesn’t reflect a change in the products themselves; we will still be providing a powerful relational database foundation to the Azure Services Platform. By standardizing our naming conventions, we’re demonstrating the tight integration between the components of the services platform. More intuitive names also help to reinforce the relationships between our on-premises and cloud solutions. Ultimately, the goal is to drive simplicity and clarity for customers as they consider on-premises and cloud computing approaches for solving their IT needs,” explained the SQL Server Team.

The vision of the Microsoft Data Platform is to extend SQL Server capabilities to the cloud as web services and Microsoft SQL Azure is the one to deliver the aforementioned vision. SQL Azure will allow customers to store structures, semi-structure and unstructured data in the cloud, SQL Azure will provide a rich set of integrated services to use when performing relational queries, search, reporting, analytics, integration and synchronize data with mobile users, remote offices and business partners.

For the time being the services that SQL Azure provides are limited to Microsoft SQL Azure Database, but this will certainly change in the future.

“Microsoft SQL Azure Database is a cloud-based relational database platform built on SQL Server® technologies. With SQL Azure Database, you can easily provision and deploy relational database solutions to the cloud, and take advantage of a globally distributed data center that provides enterprise-class availability, scalability, and security with the benefits of built-in data protection, self-healing and disaster recovery,” explained Microsoft.


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