Microsoft Machine Learning Offerings

Machine Learning Services has similarities to and differences from other Microsoft analytic products and services:

On-premises products, such as Analysis Services and Excel Power Pivot, offer analytical features but have fewer advanced statistical processes and learning methods compared to languages supported by Machine Learning Services, and they store computational data in models that are separate from SQL Server, as compared to operating on data resident in SQL Server.

Azure Machine Learning supports the same scripting languages and methodologies as SQL Server Machine Learning Services and is offered as a service, wherein Microsoft manages the underlying infrastructure and operating environment. The service allows customers to scale resources to meet demand, which can help control costs. However, the service must remotely access and transfer data for machine learning processes, and the service requires additional cost and management, beyond the data management services it accesses.