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Hammad  Khan - PeerSpot reviewer
Deputy Manager at S2 Consulting Services
Real User
Easy to integrate and relatively affordable in a developing market
Pros and Cons
  • "We have multiple applications running for our customers that we can integrate into Azure SQL."
  • "Scalability is an issue because we can't upgrade to new versions due to hardware limitations."

What is our primary use case?

About 25 people in my office use SQL Azure. Including customers, there are about 400-500 people.

What is most valuable?

We have multiple applications running for our customers that we can integrate into Azure SQL.

What needs improvement?

Scalability is an issue because we can't upgrade to new versions due to hardware limitations. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using SQL Azure for a couple of years.

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Azure SQL Database
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate SQL Azure nine out of 10 for stability because we haven't faced any major issues.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate SQL Azure six out of 10 for scalability.

How are customer service and support?

We haven't used technical support because we haven't faced any major challenges, but I would rate their documentation and knowledge base eight out of 10. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

I rate SQL Azure eight out of 10 for ease of setup. In the worst-case scenario, deployment takes a few days. A couple of employees could do it easily. Usually, it's an admin and a developer. 

What was our ROI?

I rate SQL Azure six out of 10 for ROI. We've seen a 40-50% ROI

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

I rate SQL Azure eight out of 10 for affordability. I live in a developing country where cost is always an issue. The price should be negotiable, and there should be more discounts.

What other advice do I have?

I rate SQL Azure eight out of 10. I recommend it because we haven't faced any major issues. 

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: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Distributor
PeerSpot user
Architect of Business Intelligence Solutions at Nestle
Real User
Easy to manage solution for analytics and business intelligence
Pros and Cons
  • "It's user-friendly. Compared to other solutions, it's based more on clicks, not on scripts. It's easy to manage."
  • "There could be more collaboration with other tools like Data Factory and Databricks."

What is our primary use case?

We are using this solution for analytics and business intelligence.

The solution is deployed on-prem and on cloud. The cloud provider is Microsoft.

There are tens of thousands of users. In my market in Poland, there are maybe 1,000 using the application based on the solution.

What is most valuable?

It's user-friendly. Compared to other solutions, it's based more on clicks, not on scripts. It's easy to manage.

What needs improvement?

There could be more collaboration with other tools like Data Factory and Databricks.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for 20 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It's stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's scalable, but it could be better.

How are customer service and support?

I don't use support because the documentation is very good, and the solution is easy to manage.

How was the initial setup?

In Azure, deployment takes minutes. It's easy.

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

The cost is around $2,000 per month.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate this solution 8 out of 10.

My advice is to read the documentation and blogs.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

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

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
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
March 2025
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Azure SQL Database. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
845,040 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Mangesh Masaye - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager at UPL
Real User
Top 10
Scalable and stable SQL database solution that's easy to install, with good technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "Database services and Active Directory related functions for this solution are good. Stable, scalable, and easy to install. Its technical support is good."
  • "Integration needs to be improved for this solution."

What is our primary use case?

We have multiple use cases for this solution, and it really depends on the application team requirements. Our analytics team uses it. We also use it for database migration.

What is most valuable?

What I found most valuable in Azure SQL are the functions related to Active Directory and the database services. You can do everything in Azure SQL.

What needs improvement?

Integration needs to be improved for this solution.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been using Azure SQL since 2013.

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?

Azure SQL is scalable.

How are customer service and support?

We had to contact technical support about some of our issues, and it was good. They have good people.

How was the initial setup?

Installation for this solution is very easy, but you'll need to be a certified installer to find the setup easy.

What about the implementation team?

We implemented Azure SQL through an integrator and data partner.

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

Azure SQL has licenses which you can pay yearly or monthly. You have the option to pay yearly or monthly for the license.

What other advice do I have?

Microsoft Azure is something that we are using. We are using Microsoft Azure from the Cloud. It's the public cloud we are using. We use multiple services on Azure, e.g. mDNS, Traffic Manager, Database, etc., depending upon the attributes and aspects. We're using Azure SQL.

We have a cloud team made up of 10 people who use this solution, then there are various application teams that also use Azure SQL. At the moment, we have no plans of increasing usage for this solution, but we're open to it.

I would recommend this solution to others looking into using it.

I'm rating Azure SQL a 10 out of 10.

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
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
Atal Upadhyay - PeerSpot reviewer
AVP at MIDDAY INFOMEDIA LIMITED
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A managed cloud database cloud-based Microsoft SQL Servers, provided as part of Microsoft Azure services
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is straightforward."
  • "Operational cost needs improvement."

What is our primary use case?

 We use it for supporting an application from another platform to Azure.

What needs improvement?

Operational cost needs improvement. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using SQL Azure for 6-8 months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.  

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a scalable solution. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. The designing process is involved in the deployment. 

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
Joyal Benni - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Consultant at ProArch
Real User
Top 5
Good stability with a straightforward deployment
Pros and Cons
    • "The preset configuration switches we can select on SQL Azure should be made more liberal to work on."

    What is our primary use case?

    We usually work on a valuation basis. When a customer wants to get on to our cloud, we suggest SQL Azure to them.

    What needs improvement?

    The preset configuration switches we can select on SQL Azure should be made more liberal to work on. The licensing cost for the solution is very expensive and should be improved.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using SQL Azure for eight years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    SQL Azure is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    SQL Azure is a scalable solution. Around 30 to 40 customers are using the solution.

    How are customer service and support?

    Their customer support is not ok at all because sometimes the tickets we raise don't get authorized.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup for the solution is easy. It takes around 10 to 15 minutes to set up the solution. The deployment of the solution is straightforward.

    What was our ROI?

    The ROI depends on the customer and the scenario.

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

    SQL Azure's licensing cost is expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    SQL Azure is a cloud-based solution. We usually require one or two people to deploy and maintain the solution. I would recommend SQL Azure for other people who don’t want to manage their environment. The worst thing about Microsoft is that it has a very bad license agreement that nobody understands.

    Overall, I rate SQL Azure an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Raghavaraju R - PeerSpot reviewer
    Technical Lead at HCL Technologies
    Real User
    Reliable with good security privileges and good templates
    Pros and Cons
    • "The product is easy to set up."
    • "It does take some time to learn about the environment."

    What is our primary use case?

    This is one of the applications where we are supporting in production.

    If we are using SQL STL, it is a manual process. If we use STL Azure, we will import all the templates from the Azure cloud or Microsoft cloud. There are already pre-defined templates and pre-defined procedures in Azure. We will be using those instead of manual processes. Azure is helping us to be more flexible and handle time scaling.

    What is most valuable?

    I have limited experience with the tool. It's hard to describe its best feature. 

    It's pretty helpful from a technical standpoint.  It's also dominating other clouds, including AWS and Google. It's better at improving itself. 

    The product is easy to set up.

    It's stable and reliable. 

    I find the product to be scalable. 

    The solution is pretty affordable. 

    Microsoft has a lot of useful security privileges. 

    What needs improvement?

    I haven't really come across any shortcomings. I also have limited experience. We need to do more training and research.

    It does take some time to learn about the environment. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution for six months. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is easy to scale. 

    We have more than 1,000 people using the solution. I'm not sure of the exact number of users. We have multiple accounts and end customers. 

    How are customer service and support?

    In terms of technical support, we do have a lot of subscription privileges. We do have seniors, and tech leads to assist. They can discuss issues with the vendor and technical support.

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

    We have used different solutions in the past. We found that if we worked manually, we would need more resources. With this solution, we have more time flexibility and stability. More complex things can be worked around.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is straightforward. 

    It is easy. We only use one account, a Microsoft Azure account, and we can pull all templates from there. It's got an easy user interface and admin interface which makes implementation straightforward. All you have to do is deploy all the scenarios. After that, it will take some time and flexibility to understand the environment.

    It takes six hours to finish all the setup, including completing the installation of SQL and integrating with Genesis.

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

    We find the solution to be less expensive than other options. 

    What other advice do I have?

    We're customers and end-users.

    I would recommend this solution. Microsoft is very efficient and forward-looking - making it less expensive to build the setup for Azure SQL. Even though we do have one Microsoft account, we can directly integrate it with everything at one time. We do have limited licenses which makes it less expensive compared to the Google cloud or AWS or whatever else is in the other market. 

    I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

    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
    Sunil Singh - PeerSpot reviewer
    Lead Engineering at GlobalLogic
    Real User
    It's good with transactional systems.
    Pros and Cons
    • "SQL Azure is good with transactional systems."
    • "If it's a transitional system, there is a lot of reporting, so the solution becomes a bit slow when it's churning out tons of data, but it's good for a mid-sized application"

    What is our primary use case?

    We use SQL Azure to integrate the on-prem resources with the cloud. It creates a replica of our database in the cloud. We have more than 50 users.

    What is most valuable?

    SQL Azure is good with transactional systems.

    What needs improvement?

    If it's a transitional system, there is a lot of reporting, so the solution becomes a bit slow when it's churning out tons of data, but it's good for a mid-sized application

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've been using SQL Azure for around five years.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We are using SQL Azure extensively. It is still being utilized in the gigabyte and petabyte range for older applications, as well.

    How are customer service and support?

    We are a gold partner, so we have the option to use gold-tier support.

    How was the initial setup?

    Deploying SQL Azure is easy. It takes only one engineer to deploy.

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

    We have an enterprise license. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate SQL Azure nine out of 10. I would recommend it to others.

    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: March 2025
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Microsoft Azure SQL Database Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.