SQL Azure Database is on its way; new pricing and licensing information announced at WPC
The next wave of information on the Windows Azure platform was revealed today at the Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC) in New Orleans. Since many of you are following the roll-out of this highly anticipated cloud platform, we wanted to provide you with an update on Microsoft SQL Azure and Microsoft SQL Azure Database– formerly known as SQL Services and SQL Data Services. Also announced at WPC:
· The business model and pricing for Windows Azure, .NET Services, and SQL Azure
· The partner channel model and pricing for Azure services
· The Windows Azure QuickStart program for partners
A consumption model to “pay-as-you-grow”
As a part of the Windows Azure platform, SQL Azure Database will deliver traditional relational database service in the cloud, supporting T-SQL over Tabular Data Stream (TDS) protocol. SQL Azure Database offers small to medium sized businesses, Web 2.0 and ASP.NET developers a pay-as-you-grow, secure, scalable and highly available database service with business continuity and minimal infrastructure cost. Microsoft’s business partners can develop and offer cloud-based services themselves, powered by SQL Azure and Windows Azure multi-tenant capabilities.
SQL Azure Database will be available in two editions: the Web Edition Database and the Business Edition Database. Both editions offer scalability, automated high availability, and self-provisioning. Best of all, they’re both priced for value.
· The Web Edition Database is best suited for customers building custom Web applications, as well as workgroup and departmental applications. Customers can purchase up to 1 GB of T-SQL based database space for $9.99 per month.
· The Business Edition Database is best suited for customers building ISVs packaged line-of-business and enterprise applications. Business Edition customers can purchase up to 10 GBs of T-SQL based relational database space for $99.99 per month.
· Customers also have the option of simply purchasing bandwidth for $0.10 in / $0.15 out per GB.
Licensing agreements that reflect real-world usage
Customers and partners wishing to license SQL Azure customers will have connectivity between a database and our Internet gateway. When our service fails to establish a connection from the gateway to a customer database then the database is assumed to be unavailable. Service level agreement (SLA) calculations will be based on an average over a 30-day monthly cycle, and failures seen by a customer will be counted for the purpose of availability calculations for that customer. Microsoft will monitor SQL Azure Database health both internally and externally to sample customer database availability at 5-minute intervals.
Get ready to try it yourself
SQL Azure Database is on track to deliver a public CTP in August and ship in the second half of calendar year 2009. Everyone is encouraged to go to http://www.microsoft.com/azure/sql.mspx to register to participate in the CTP. For more information about the business model and the upcoming CTP, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/azure/sql.mspx.
