Difference between SQL Azure and SQL Server - Whitepaper

There was a time when I used to wonder what is SQL Azure and just by the name I used to think that it's not the stuff that I would into which I would want to peep my head. Then finally when the trial version was out, I opened up my account and tried out everything that I wanted to break my curiosity. Also I authored two different articles on How to read and write data from SQL Azure using SSIS 2008 R2 and How to connect to SQL Azure using SSRS 2008 R2.

As soon as SQL Azure went RTM, all trial accounts were freezed out and got converted to production DBs. And if you want to access SQL Azure now, you need to be ready with your credit card, though whatever small may be the amount. So now if someone want to make a start and check out what SQL Azure is capable of, there no way to do it without paying for the same. Though it's not possible to practically get a hands-on SQL Azure to study the difference between SQL Azure and SQL Server, but this whitepaper can be quite handy and pilot quickly through each details of differences between SQL Server and SQL Azure. Cloud computing is the change in the making, and potential of SQL Azure should not be underestimated. If one day you find yourself in a situation where you need to migrate or develop applications based on SQL Azure instead of SQL Server, this is the first whitepaper that you would open out of your kit.

Microsoft needs to provide a SQL Express version of SQL Azure, I mean a free limited trial version of SQL Azure so that users can at least evaluate the product.