Public Preview: Backup support for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 for Azure Virtual Machines

Azure Backup is an enterprise-scale, zero-infrastructure solution that protects SQL Server VM in Azure without the need to deploy and manage any backup infrastructure. This offering is already generally available for more recent SQL Server versions , and today we are excited to announce Azure Backup support for EOS SQL 2008 and 2008 R2 in public preview.
Source: Azure Roadmap