Microsoft has released the first CTP of its SQL Server Hosting Toolkit. This toolkit is designed to provide support for companies using a hosted SQL Server.
The first CTP includes a command line version of the Database Publishing Wizard. This tool can generate the scripts necessary to deploy a SQL Server database when only a web-based "query analyzer" is available.
The second CTP, planned for mid November will also include a GUI and a web service deployment model. Apparently the theory is that hosting companies will expose a web service that the tool will be able to interact with.
According to the current roadmap, the release version will also include Visual Studio integration.
This is not all the SQL Server team has planned. Early next year they plan on releasing a CTP for a web based database control panel. While similar tools are already in wide use among the major hosting companies, smaller companies could really benefit from this technology.