Reserve Database Instances in Amazon's Cloud

Amazon Web Services is offering a new service to users of its cloud-based Relation Database Service in which database instances can be reserved in a specific region for portions of one or three years. These Reserved Databases Instances cost $227.50 for one year and $350 for three years; an hourly usage fee is still required, but has been reduced to $0.046. According to Amazon, if the database instance is used for the entire term then a 46 percent discount can result.