SQL Azure

Microsoft® SQL Azure delivers on the Microsoft Data Platform vision of extending the SQL Server capabilities to the cloud as web-based services, enabling you to store structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data. SQL Azure will deliver a rich set of integrated services that enable you to perform relational queries, search, reporting, analytics, integration and synchronize data with mobile users, remote offices and business partners. Currently, SQL Azure offers relational database service called Microsoft® SQL Azure Database. Other services will be available in future.

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 will be available in two editions: the Web Edition Database and the Business Edition Database.

Web Edition – 2GB of T-SQL based database space for $9.99 per month
Business Edition – 10GB of T-SQL based database space for $99.99 per month.
Customers can also purchase bandwidth for $.10 in and $.15 out per GB

SQL Azure Database is on track to deliver a public CTP in August and ship in the second half of calendar year 2009. In its initial release, SQL Azure Database will support relational capabilities suitable for relational apps, including multi-tenant apps requiring large levels of scale. Future releases of SQL Azure will support advanced features like distributed queries across partitions, and auto-partition. Developers will be able to utilize existing Transact-SQL code to access their data in the cloud.

Read More About SQL Azure.

Reference : Pinal Dave (blog.SQLAuthority.com)