Generally Available: Azure SQL Database free offer

February 2025 Update
Generally Available: Azure SQL Database free offer
Azure SQL Database

• Try 10 Azure SQL Databases free of charge for the life of your subscription. With just a couple of clicks, you can power the application you want to build. This new offer provides 10 databases, each with 32 GB General Purpose, serverless Azure SQL database, and 100,000 vCore seconds of compute free every month. This is a great starter option for many scenarios, whether you are learning SQL, developing a web app that needs a database, or simply need an additional database for a proof of concept on an application such as PowerBI reporting. This offer is available for any Azure subscription type. Every month, your free amount will renew for the life of the subscription. If you want to scale up your database, it's just a few clicks to continue usage for additional charges.

Generally Available: Azure Databricks Available in Mexico Central
Azure Databricks

• Azure Databricks is a data analytics platform optimized for the Microsoft Azure cloud services platform. Azure Databricks offers three environments for developing data intensive applications: Databricks SQL, Databricks Data Science & Engineering, and Databricks Machine Learning.
  Azure Databricks is now generally available in Mexico Central.

Generally Available: Azure DNS Public Zones DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) Support
Azure DNS

• Announcing the general availability of Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) for Azure DNS Public Zones. With this release you can now enable DNSSEC on all existing and new public DNS Zones hosted on Azure DNS. This significant update enhances the security and integrity of your DNS infrastructure by providing cryptographic authentication of DNS data. With DNSSEC, Azure DNS Public Zones can now offer protection to our customers against various types of attacks, such as cache poisoning and man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Azure Public DNS support for DNSSEC is designed to be easy to implement and manage. Users can enable DNSSEC for their DNS zones through the Azure portal, Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell or Azure Public DNS API. The Azure DNS service automatically handles all key management and signing operations, simplifying the process for DNS zone administrators. By leveraging Azure's robust infrastructure, you can ensure high availability and performance for your DNSSEC-enabled zones.

Generally Available: FIPS 140 Level 3 HSMs Premium Key Vault in China
Key Vault
Azure Key Vault Premium is now available in the China Region. This significant milestone marks the first time Azure Key Vault Premium, featuring FIPS 140 Level 3 Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), is accessible in China.

The FIPS 140 Level 3 HSMs offer the highest level of security for cryptographic keys, ensuring your data is protected with the most stringent standards. For more information on FIPS 140, see Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140 . With the Introduction of Premium Key Vault in Mooncake China, customers can now benefit from advanced security features, including:

Enhanced Security: FIPS 140 Level 3 certification ensures that the HSMs meet rigorous security requirements, providing robust protection for your cryptographic keys.
Compliance: This launch helps customers in highly regulated industries meet their compliance requirements.
This general availability is offered in the China North 3, China North 2, China East 3, and China East 2 regions. We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity to strengthen your security posture. For more information on billing, please refer to the Key Vault Pricing Details on Azure Cloud Computing page. We encourage you to explore the capabilities of Premium Key Vault and share your valuable feedback with us.