<Li> Containerize data in the cloud for isolation and security </Li> <Li> Outsource database management in order to focus on value - added services </Li> <P> Azure SQL Database shares the SQL Server 2016 codebase . It is compatible with SQL Server 2014 and 2016 and most of the features available in SQL Server 2016 are available in Azure SQL Database . A list of incompatibilities is published by Microsoft . </P> <P> 2009--Service announced </P>

What version of sql server does azure use