Azure is a cloud computing platform operated by Microsoft that provides access, management, and development of applications and services via globally-distributed data centers. Microsoft Azure has multiple capabilities such as software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), and supports many different programming languages, tools, and frameworks, including both Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems.

Azure SQL Edge is a containerized, edge‑optimized relational database engine built on the Microsoft SQL Server engine. It is designed primarily for IoT and edge computing scenarios, enabling local data storage, real‑time analytics, streaming, and AI inference near the data source, with optional cloud connectivity to Azure services.

It supports offline operation, low‑latency analytics, and is deployable via Docker, Kubernetes, or Azure IoT Edge.