Azure SQL Hyperscale is often viewed as a niche option for very large or expensive databases. In reality, Hyperscale represents the modern evolution of SQL Server, removing long-standing limits around scale, performance, and operations while remaining fully SQL compatible. This session explains how Hyperscale’s architecture changes cost and scalability assumptions, dispels common myths, and shows why Hyperscale is the default SQL cloud database for modern applications. We’ll also look at new SQL capabilities-vectors, JSON, REST APIs, and AI agent integration using SQL MCP-without giving up SQL Server fundamentals. Hyperscale isn’t a premium tier for edge cases-it’s how SQL Server evolves for cloud scale, cost efficiency, and AI-ready applications.