[dba-VB] SSDS

I am trying to learn how to host data on my own servers, or on a web site that I contract for, and 
use a service to get that data.  I thought that SSDS was the technology that allowed me to do that, 
but when I start viewing Microsoft's clinics, specifically clinic 6341, I am told I need to 
"register for, set up a user name" etc...

IOW "We have a server in the cloud and sell you"...

That is decidedly NOT what I want to do, simply because I have no budget for the "we sell you" part 
of that contract.

Do we know whether SSDS allows me to host my own data and write services to access my own data 
hosted wherever I want to host that data?

If so, where do I go to learn how to do this.

I viewed a blog last night. specifically

http://channel9.msdn.com/blogs/pdc2008/tl07

which was pretty cool.  I have to say I am skeptical that it would work for high volume data 
transfers simply because of the overhead for each actual piece of data.  However for working with 
databases in the traditional "fill in the tables and generate reports" it looks like a killer way to 
do business over the internet.

I now have three different places (clients) where this would appear to solve my problems with remote 
users.

Is anyone using this stuff to build applications that run on a client but add / edit / browse / 
report to a database "out there somewhere"?

-- 
John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com