From edge to cloud, companies are eager to find innovative solutions that meet them where they are. Today’s business environment is increasingly complex, and customers tell us they need solutions that are multi-cloud, platform-agnostic, and offer integrated apps and services that are always up to date. We’ve seen firsthand the best solution combines a company’s existing infrastructure with the simple, distributed computing power of the cloud. Our unique approach to hybrid gives businesses choice and flexibility in managing their entire data estate while complying with data sovereignty, regulation, and latency requirements.  

Tune in to the Azure Hybrid and Multi-cloud Digital Event from 9:00 – 11:00 AM Pacific Time to learn more about the latest announcements about Azure Arc-enabled data services. And today, we’re announcing the general availability of Azure SQL enabled by Azure Arc to help customers manage their data and databases simply and efficiently. Customers can deploy cloud services on-premises and in multi-cloud environments—effectively modernizing in place by running Azure SQL on any infrastructure.

Cloud solutions that simplify the most complex hybrid data scenarios

Deploying cloud-based solutions to on-premises and multi-cloud environments helps deliver consistent, portable, and unified management across a company’s entire data estate. Our customers are seeing improved productivity and operating efficiency by using hybrid technology to manage their data and app development at scale.

For example, SKF provides reliable rotation to industries all over the world, offering products and services around the rotating shaft including bearings, seals, lubrication management, artificial intelligence, and wireless condition monitoring. SKF has been on a journey to digitally transform the company’s backbone through harnessing the power of technology, interconnecting processes, streamlining operations, and delivering industry-leading digital products and services for customers. SKF uses Azure Arc, along with Azure Stack HCI and Azure SQL Edge, to scale solutions and standardize processes across their 91 manufacturing sites, resulting in 40 percent savings on hardware costs and 30 percent savings in OT-related machine downtime.

“SKF’s focus is on digitalizing all segments of the value chain and interconnecting them to unlock the full potential of digital ways of working for our business and customers. Azure Arc-enabled SQL Managed Instance is providing us worry-free and always up-to-date SQL operations. These types of services provide us a tremendous jumpstart into digitalization.”—Sven Vollbehr, Head of Digital Manufacturing, SKF

The “anywhere” solution for hybrid cloud applications

Beginning July 30, 2021, the general-purpose tier of Azure Arc-enabled SQL Managed Instance will be generally available, providing database-as-a-service (DBaaS) functionality on any infrastructure. Businesses will be able to deploy Azure SQL databases on any infrastructure and on any Kubernetes to:

• Stay current with automated updates and deploy evergreen feature and security updates to on-prem databases with no end-of-support.
• Automate routine database administrator (DBA) tasks at scale with built-in management capabilities including high availability, backup, and restore.
• Optimize data workload performance by bringing cloud elasticity on-premises for existing infrastructure, using only the resources needed to dynamically scale up, down, without application downtime.
• Access Azure industry-leading security and governance capabilities for your on-premises data workloads using to protect your data.

New product features and capabilities will be rolled out on a continuous basis, and customers will be able to opt-in to preview additional Azure Arc-enabled services, such as PostgreSQL, and easily integrate as they become generally available. Additionally, customers will have the opportunity to test out future road map preview features and provide early feedback.

Develop breakthrough applications with our network of trusted partners

In support of Azure Arc-enabled data services’ general availability, we are announcing an expanded network of trusted partners and validated solutions to help customers get started.

Our team works closely with technology providers to validate popular platforms to work with Azure Arc, and our many service providers are here to provide customers with the latest innovations for hybrid data solutions on-premises or in multi-cloud environments.

Whether you are just getting started with migration and modernization efforts or in the middle of a multi-year digital transformation, our consulting services partners can help you choose the validated infrastructures and applications that are specifically configured and tested to work with Azure Arc.

Get started with Azure Arc-enabled data services

Get started with Azure Arc-enabled data services available in preview today. Starting July 30, 2021, Azure Arc-enabled SQL Managed Instance (general-purpose tier) will be generally available for customers to optimize their data workloads from cloud to edge.

Tune in to the Azure Hybrid and Multi-cloud Digital Event today at 9:00 AM Pacific Time or watch on-demand to learn more about the announcement.

• Get started and view frequently asked questions.
• Review Azure Arc documentation and Jumpstart scenarios.