Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users
Gert Bosscher - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at GBCom Consulting
Consultant
Stable and scalable solution; could improve integrations with business intelligence software
Pros and Cons
  • "My impression is that this solution is quite stable."
  • "I think this product can improve its integrations with business intelligence software. The integrations are always cumbersome due to the approvals, passwords, et cetera."

What needs improvement?

I think this product can improve its integrations with business intelligence software. The integrations are always cumbersome due to the approvals, passwords, et cetera. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for the last three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

My impression is that this solution is quite stable. I would rate its stability an eight, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability of this solution an eight, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best. Currently, there are two users of this solution in our company.

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure SQL Database
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,660 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What about the implementation team?

I will be doing the implementation myself with the help of a third party.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated the SQL Server in addition to this solution, but we ultimately chose Azure mainly to have everything on one platform.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate this solution an eight, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Vice President (Technology) at Shaligram Infotech LLP
Real User
Around-the-clock access to your database, maintenance-free, and good performance
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature from the infra point of view is you don't have to keep any on-prem infrastructure, it is available all the time whenever you want to access it."
  • "The solution can be improved by reducing the cost so more users can be added."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case of this solution is to host our databases and it is fulfilling our requirements.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature from the infra point of view is you don't have to keep any on-prem infrastructure, it is available all the time whenever you want to access it.

What needs improvement?

The solution can be improved by reducing the cost so more users can be added.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for 15 months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Our customers work in the space of small and medium businesses area segment. For them, the way the solution is being offered and used is working and is considered to be stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Not much is required in terms of scalability. So the foreign enterprises which are spanning the globe that requires scalability could be different. Small and medium businesses have a presence only in one location or maybe a couple of cities within a country. this is a reasonably scalable solution for them.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The license is based on the number of users.

What other advice do I have?

I give the solution nine out of ten.

Currently, we have 25 to 30 developers using the solution.

There are alternative solutions available like Oracle or MySQL but I have not used any of them.

I recommend the solution.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Private Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure SQL Database
November 2024
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
816,660 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
Global Data Architecture and Data Science Director at FH
Real User
ExpertModerator
Secure, stable, and easy to use with good scalability and high availability
Pros and Cons
  • "It is good for scalability and high availability. It is also secure because of Microsoft's cloud investment. It is easy to use because it is on the cloud. Creation or making it available through web services is super easy. Azure SQL can be quickly published as web services for APIs to connect with other applications. Because it is in Microsoft Cloud, you can easily integrate with Microsoft stack."
  • "Its price could be better. It is expensive. I am not sure if Microsoft Master Data Services is included in this. If not, Master Data Services can be integrated with Azure SQL. I have only used Master Data Services on-premises."

What is our primary use case?

We're using it for scalability. Everything is on Azure SQL for us. It is an enterprise application data warehouse, so all our applications are on this. It is useful for entire data warehousing. It is also good for microservices applications. We have its latest version.

What is most valuable?

It is good for scalability and high availability. It is also secure because of Microsoft's cloud investment.

It is easy to use because it is on the cloud. Creation or making it available through web services is super easy. Azure SQL can be quickly published as web services for APIs to connect with other applications. Because it is in Microsoft Cloud, you can easily integrate with Microsoft stack.

What needs improvement?

Its price could be better. It is expensive.

I am not sure if Microsoft Master Data Services is included in this. If not, Master Data Services can be integrated with Azure SQL. I have only used Master Data Services on-premises.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for four years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable. Microsoft has been in the market for quite some time.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is quite scalable. It is a good choice for any kind of application database, data warehousing, or data lake. 

In terms of the number of users, it is being used by all users in our enterprise. For development, we have four to five developers, and we also have partners to help us.

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is managed by Microsoft partners, which is good.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We have used Microsoft SQL Server on-premises. We are still using it, and slowly, we'll move to Azure SQL.

How was the initial setup?

You don't have to install it because it is on the cloud.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is expensive. Snowflake and PostgreSQL are cheaper than this. Google is also cheaper than Azure. 

Its licensing is on a pay-as-you-go basis. It is based on usage and storage.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. If anybody is using Azure Cloud, they should definitely use Azure SQL. Our strategy is to have all our applications on Azure, and we will keep using this solution. We will also be using it for our analytical data mart.

I would rate SQL Azure a nine out of ten. It is a good product, and it has all the required features.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
STI Data Leader at grupo gtd
Real User
Useful data query manipulating, reliable, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "The most useful feature of Azure SQL is the queries for manipulating the data, such as the tables and the storage processors."
  • "Azure SQL can improve by adding more machine learning features like other databases, such as Cassandra or Cosmos DB."

What is our primary use case?

We use Azure SQL serverless or with virtual machines.

Azure SQL is used mostly by my clients for ETL.

What is most valuable?

The most useful feature of Azure SQL is the queries for manipulating the data, such as the tables and the storage processors.

What needs improvement?

Azure SQL can improve by adding more machine learning features like other databases, such as Cassandra or Cosmos DB.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Azure for approximately three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Azure SQL is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability of Azure SQL is good. However, it is limited by the infrastructure. The cloud version gives more scalability.

How are customer service and support?

The support from Azure SQL is good.

I rate the support from Azure SQL a four out of five.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of Azure SQL is of a medium level of difficulty. We need some expertise in installing, configuring, and deploying Azure SQL.

What about the implementation team?

We have approximately 20 to 30 specialists for the deployment of Azure SQL.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price in general of Azure SQL could improve.

What other advice do I have?

We have enterprises in Chile, Peru, Spain, Italy, and Colombia that provide IT services. We use this solution every day to maintain new projects and use the on-premise and cloud versions.

My advice to others is to review alternatives to Azure SQL. For example, SQL Serverless, SQL with a virtual machine, or Azure SQL Instances.

I rate Azure SQL a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Marios Christodoulou - PeerSpot reviewer
DB and Systems Engineer at JCC Payment Systems Ltd
Real User
Top 5
Stable, scalable, and good support
Pros and Cons
  • "SQL Azure is reliable and scales well."
  • "The solution could improve by allowing the export of the data more seamlessly. It is difficult to copy and back up data."

What is our primary use case?

We are using SQL Azure for databases that are hosted in Microsoft Azure.

What is most valuable?

SQL Azure is reliable and scales well.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by allowing the export of the data more seamlessly. It is difficult to copy and back up data.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Azure for three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the stability of SQL Azure an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 1,000 people using the solution in my organization.

I rate the scalability of SQL Azure a nine out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

The support is good.

How was the initial setup?

I rate the initial setup of SQL Azure a nine out of ten.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is expensive.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SQL Azure a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2032284 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head, Information Technology at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Integrates well with Microsoft products and can expand but needs to have mobile capabilities
Pros and Cons
  • "We're a Microsoft customer, so it fits in with everything else we work with."
  • "The product could be more competitive in terms of features, security, and scalability."

What is our primary use case?

We have HR applications including a lead system and also traveling expenses. We're using SQL for items like that.

What is most valuable?

The solution offers good plugin capabilities. We're a Microsoft customer, so it fits in with everything else we work with. 

The solution can scale. 

What needs improvement?

From a user standpoint, there isn't really any need for improvement. 

We'd like the solution to be available on mobile phones. 

The product could be more competitive in terms of features, security, and scalability.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using the solution for around three years. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability would be a bit better. That said, right now, I am happy with how it can scale. As a user, you always want it to be better; however, as of now, it's not too bad. 

I'm not sure how many people are using the solution in our company at this time. 

How are customer service and support?

I've never used technical support services. I can't speak to how well they respond when a customer has an issue. 

What other advice do I have?

We're a Microsoft customer. 

I'm not part of the development team. I'm not sure which version our company is on. 

I'd rate the solution six out of ten. While it's fine for use online, we'd like it to be more mobile. If it were on mobile, I would rate it higher. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
IT Manager at European University
Real User
East to deploy with good documentation but can be expensive
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is quite straightforward to set up."
  • "I want the pricing to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We decided to implement some forms for different purposes. We needed to implement it on-premises, so we did this on Azure to support the data from the forms implemented on a SQL server, and on Azure on several databases. It's very easy. 

What is most valuable?

The solution is quite straightforward to set up.

It can scale. 

The solution is stable and reliable. 

What needs improvement?

I want the pricing to be improved. They should try to lower it for their customers. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've used the solution for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution can scale. I can't say how much as I don't have a comparable use case on the cloud and on-premises. 

We have about five people using the solution right now. For now, we do not have plans to increase usage.

How are customer service and support?

The support is good. They have a good document library. If there is a problem, we can figure it out. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very straightforward. It's not complex at all. For us, it did not take more than one or two hours. It was quick to deploy. 

We only need one person on hand for deployment and maintenance. They are a developer. 

What about the implementation team?

We did not use a consultant for the implementation process. We have a lot of experience in Azure and a lot of systems in Azure as well. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We have a yearly licensing fee we need to pay. It's not a cheap solution. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd recommend the solution to other users. 

Based on the experience I've had, I would rate it seven out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Samuel Lambrecht - PeerSpot reviewer
Principal Industry Consultant at Intelligent Operations Solutions
Consultant
The response time was better than expected
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable aspect of SQL Azure is the SQL language itself. It's open and everybody can use it at my company. Also, we thought in the beginning that the response time would be inadequate, but it's actually decent. It's much better than expected. Then again, I'm not a programmer, but that's what I hear from our development team."
  • "They should also simplify the security in Azure. We are using the cloud as a platform, so there is no physical infrastructure. We're using Azure components like databases and servers to create an application. Integrating those components in terms of permissions and security is challenging for us. Maybe there is a lack of knowledge on our side, but it's not straightforward."

What is our primary use case?

We use SQL Azure for what we call an inspection round. Inspection rounds are mainly used by an inspector in the field to check the compliance of the equipment, like if a given machine doesn't have enough instrumentation. 

In any kind of plant, there is an inventory of assets. Most companies have an inspector who goes to the field to check the condition and record some indicators. The results of the inspection are recorded in our software. All the data from the inspection round is stored in our database in Azure. That is what we use the Azure database for.

We created a custom PaaS. It's not a pre-built device in the cloud. Azure components like SQL Azure and a web server are combined to create this solution. Our SQL performs better in that space than a readymade device.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable aspect of SQL Azure is the SQL language itself. It's open and everybody can use it at my company. Also, we thought in the beginning that the response time would be inadequate, but it's actually decent. It's much better than expected. Then again, I'm not a programmer, but that's what I hear from our development team. 

What needs improvement?

There are some characteristics called "joins," like "inner join," "full join," "left join," "right join," etc. It's a little confusing for some coders. I think that could be simplified. 

I'm in the analytic space, so I would introduce a higher level of coding using artificial intelligence. SQL is quite close to English. They could add a voice interface where you speak into it, and the machine writes the code for you. My weakness in coding requires something automated, so I can be more proactive. 

They should also simplify the security in Azure. We are using the cloud as a platform, so there is no physical infrastructure. We're using Azure components like databases and servers to create an application. Integrating those components in terms of permissions and security is challenging for us. Maybe there is a lack of knowledge on our side, but it's not straightforward. 

The data modeling is not good for me. There are better tools than SQL Azure when you need to create the abstract part of the database design. It's weak. It's not user-friendly, and the notation is specific to Microsoft. I believe we use a third-party tool for data modeling because it's easier to use. Communicating with that tool is easier than SQL Azure. The model is nicer.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Azure for about five or six years. We started using the solution for one of our clients, a mining company, more than five years ago. They were the first customers to use our solution.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We don't have any issues with stability. The primary issues in the cloud are privileges, security, and integration between applications. That is a total mess for us. When we need to get the application servers access to the Azure database. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

SQL Azure is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

I only contacted Azure support once, and it was decent. We asked some questions, and they replied. I cannot it say was great or awful. They met our expectations. 

How was the initial setup?

Setting up SQL Azure is easy. Even I can do it. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We pay around $1,200 per year for one customer based on what they currently use. It's mainly processing and storage. SQL Azure is a bit more expensive than other solutions. There are free databases, but they don't have the scalability of the Azure cloud. It might not be affordable for some companies, but it's highly scalable.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SQL Azure eight out of 10. I would recommend it to others depending on their needs. It might be beyond the budget of some companies.

Generally, what I like about Azure as a cloud is the analytics you can apply on top of that data. Azure provides a number of high-performing solutions for data science and analytics. The main issue is that you need to build the architecture to create a product that provides value for your customers.

It's about imagination and creativity, and most of the tools are there. In my case, ease of use matters because I lack the knowledge to explore more, but our development team could do that easily. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Azure SQL Database Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: November 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Azure SQL Database Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.