SQL Azure - The Year in Review

[This article was contributed by the SQL Azure team.]

Happy New Year everybody!

 

The year 2010 was an exciting one for developers, customers, and Microsoft as we all made the dive into the cloud with SQL Azure and the Windows Azure platform.  The year 2011 is already shaping up to be even more exciting with what the industry is doing with cloud data. 

The last year has been eventful – on February 1, 2010, SQL Azure went live.  We also unveiled previews of SQL Azure Data Sync and SQL Azure Reporting to extend data and BI everywhere.  The innovations we’re seeing from customers and partners are fantastic – you can learn more about how people are using the service by clicking here.

 

Rather than have me tell you how much we believe in our vision for cloud data, I encourage you to read the Forrester analyst report, “SQL Azure Raises the Bar On Cloud Databases” by Noel Yuhanna.  Highlights include SQL Azure’s ability to take on enterprise workloads and specifically called out the unique multi-tenant highly-available architecture as a competitive advantage.  Since that time, we’ve been hard at work improving the core product, building out additional training and reference material. 

 

Our new year’s resolution in 2011 is to make it even easier to use SQL Azure and directly impact your business, the project you’re working on, or the website you’re building. Did you know you can try SQL Azure for free?  Visit here for more details.  It literally takes less than 15 minutes to sign up.

 

As you embark on your journey to cloud data, here are a few sites you might want to bookmark:

 

· SQL Azure website: offers, case studies and videos

· SQL Azure blog: for the latest news

· SQL Azure MSDN developer center: for reference and technical information

· SQL Azure TechNet Wiki: for whitepapers and technical guidance

· Windows Azure Platform Training Kit: a great free developer resource with labs for learning how to use SQL Azure and the Windows Azure platform

 

Some great interviews in 2010 with SQL Azure subject matter experts are here:

 

· Kent McNall, CEO of Quosal & Stephen Yu, VP of Development, Quosal

· Vittorio Polizzi, CTO of EdisonWeb

· David Robinson, SQL Azure  Sr PM, Microsoft

· Faisal Mohamood, Sr PM Entity Framework, Microsoft

· David Robinson, SQL Azure Sr PM, Microsoft (TechEd New Zealand)

 

Whitepapers and Wiki Articles for learning more about SQL Azure:

 

· Sharding with SQL Azure

· Inside SQL Azure

· Developing Applications for the Cloud on Microsoft Windows Azure Platform

· SQL Azure FAQ on the TechNet Wiki

 

In 2011, look for a series of instructional videos on how to develop and manage SQL Azure databases, more interviews with product team members and customers alike as well as breaking news on SQL Azure developments.  If you’d like to see something unique from us, leave a comment.

 

Hoping you had a great holiday season and wishing you a fantastic new year in 2011!

 

“To the Cloud!”

 

Steve Yi