Revenant (6/11/2013)
Steve Jones - SSC Editor (6/11/2013)
. . . I could see all kinds of quick analysis stuff moving because it's easier or quicker to throw something up in a cloud environment if your IT group isn't responsive.
It takes IT several months to get and set up a server, even if the budget is approved. It takes literally five minutes to provision a new Azure SQL server. Bonus: if you have several, setting up load balancing takes say two minutes.
My client uses Azure for a system that tracks and reports on disposal of compostable waste at supermarkets; confidentiality is not the number one consideration.
It takes days to provision and install the server, but it can take weeks for management and accounting to approve the purchase order. It can take a single afternoon to provision, if they decide on a VM, which most of our SQL Server stances are.
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Instead, seek what they sought." - Matsuo Basho