PDC: Microsoft Goes Into the Blue -- Visual Studio Magazine

Data Driverby David Ramel

PDC: Microsoft Goes Into the Blue

The names keep on changing at Microsoft. This week, SQL Data Services or SDS (formerly SQL Server Data Services or SSDS) became part of a broader group called "SQL Services." The technology is exciting even if the naming conventions leave some developers scratching their heads.

SQL Services is part of the rollout for Windows Azure -- another name that got a lot of people talking about Microsoft's inability to communicate its promising technology to developers...or the world at large, for that manner.

"I don't know how they come up with these names," voiced one Microsoft partner during his presentation. "I just hope I'm pronouncing it right." If he did, he was ahead of several Microsoft presenters and even some keynoters who offered several "variations" of Azure in the same speech.

SQL Services is the data storage component of the Azure Services Platform for building cloud-based apps. Just for showing up -- and for paying the $1,000-plus conference fee -- PDC attendees got the coveted "goods," which included a preview of Windows 7, the first Visual Studio 2010 CTP and an invitation to register for components of the Azure Services Platform, including SDS provisioning.

Redmond Developer News Executive Editor Jeffrey Schwartz and I got to sit down with Dave Campbell, the Microsoft Technical Fellow leading the SDS effort. We didn't really touch on the name change except to confirm it, but we did ask him all about Microsoft's evolving data platform. Look for our Q&A in the Nov. 15 issue of RDN. And see "PDC: Microsoft's Cloud-based SQL Services Redefined" for more data-related announcements at PDC.

Is the economic climate piquing your interest in cloud-based utility services? What would you like to see in SDS? Weigh in on SDS and Microsoft's naming habits at krichards@reddevnews.com.

Posted by Kathleen Richards on 10/29/2008

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