>Anyone using Amazon's cloud service to host a VFP application? where the VFP app is a pay-as-you-go SAAS offering for multiple clients?

I've worked with several customers that are hosting Windows Server VMs on Amazon and it's working just fine for Web Connection applications. Pricing isn't cheap - it's somewhere between $75-$100 a month for a basic machine and upwards from there for a real beefy VM). Once you get a VM set up for you it's like any other Windows box that you have full control over. You can Remote Desktop into it and install software on it as needed.

I'm surprised that VM hosting is as expensive as it is. I've found that co-location is not that much more expensive in a lot of cases especially if you supply or buy your own box.. I suspect prices will come down some as there's more competition in this space.

Microsoft will also provide VM Hosting soon with Azure (currently its in Beta) - pricing looks very similar to Amazon's.

Should you do it? If you can find a good price for the hardware you think you need - it's a good deal. Plus you get to download the VM to your local machine which allows for potential snap shot backup of your whole server which can be moved elsewhere if necessary. Not sure how that works with Amazon, but on Azure it's just a Hyper-V VM that you can run locally on your Windows box.

I think my next server installation will be a VM... no physical box and no hardware failures that can't be auto-replicated by the provider sound pretty nice.

+++ Rick ---