Microsoft released SQL Server 2008 to manufacturing.  SQL Server 2008 is now available to MSDN and TechNet subscribers and is available for evaluation download.  SQL Server 2008 Express and SQL Server Compact editions will be available for free download soon. As previously announced, pricing for SQL...

The latest community technology preview of Visual Studio Team System 2008 Database Edition is now available at the Microsoft Download Center.In addition to providing support for SQL Server 2008 database projects, this release incorporates many previously released Power Tools as well as several new features....

SQL Server 2008 Application Compatibility Labs are designed to engage strategic customers by assisting them with SQL Server 2008 upgrades.  This will also provide the SQL team with valuable data to improve the upgrade experience.In each city where the labs are held, a limited number of customers are...

Bob Kelly, corporate vice president of the Microsoft Server and Tools business, announced at Worldwide Partner Conference that SQL Server 2008 would be on the price list in August.  Kelly added there would be no price increase.Several features are of interest specific to developers.LINQ Provider: SQL...

A recent escalation in attacks on Web sites exploits unverified user data input.  Microsoft Security Advisory (954462): Rise in SQL Injection Attacks Exploiting Unverified User Data provides advice and tools to protect against a rise in SQL injection attacks.  The attacks target Web sites that do not...

Super-scalable applications have gotten easier with the community technology preview (CTP) of Microsoft Project Code Named “Velocity”.“Velocity” is a distributed in-memory application cache platform that fuses memory across multiple computers to give a single unified cache view to applications.  Your...

With the end of the fiscal year coming to Microsoft, a new set of emerging technologies will be starting up soon.  The new Rhythm technologies will be announced in June and July with enrollment beginning in August and September.  You will continue to find information, forums, developer training, events...

SQL Server 2008 RC0 is now available.  You can get the release candidate from Microsoft Download or through your MSDN subscription.  This release includes support for upgrading failover clusters from previous versions of SQL Server as well as several bug fixes and minor improvements that we have made...

LitwareHR is the Software as a Service (SaaS) reference application that demonstrates how to create multi-tenant applications on the Microsoft platform.  LitwareHR has been updated to support SQL Server Data Services (SSDS) as the on-line storage provider.The latest update includes a new data model,...

Join us for these web seminars if you are a developer interested in SQL Server 2008.Migrating from SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2008May 8, 2008Join us for this web seminar that breaks down the process of migrating from SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2008.  Key challenge areas will be highlighted.Click...

Security has become one of the core requirements for software products; secure products increase software reliability and reduce software maintenance costs by minimizing software security vulnerabilities.  The need to protect critical data, infrastructures and the need to build and preserve widespread...

Microsoft’s largest annual technical education event, TechEd 2008 offers the same enriching and informative experiences you’ve come to expect from TechEd but with additional learning opportunities designed to meet the specific needs, interests and priorities of two distinct audiences in two separate...

Microsoft is making a set of broad-reaching changes to its technology and business practices that will increase the openness of its products and drive greater interoperability, opportunity and choice across the information technology community of developers, partners, customers and competitors.Specifically,...

The Microsoft Business Intelligence platform offers an unparalleled end to end environment for developing BI solutions.  This two day class will provide you with the confidence to tackle a BI project and the skills needed to exploit new business intelligence features in SQL Server 2008.This course is...

A limited number of seats for 2-day SQL Server 2008 Application Compatibility Labs are available at Microsoft Technology Centers in April and May.  The lab is designed to help you get your application running successfully on SQL Server 2008.  Highlights of this lab include:Learn how to upgrade your...

Microsoft has launched the biggest wave of enterprise products in company history.  Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 are designed for improved security and business intelligence and offer new capabilities for virtualization and creating and hosting rich Web applications.In...

The last CTP of SQL Server 2008 is now available.  This CTP is feature complete with all the new and updated features from SQL Server 2005.  Using this interactive feature matrix, you will find 17 new improvements in this CTP.Also new in this release is the SQL Server 2008 feature pack, available here. ...

Know a student who wants to learn .NET?  Microsoft has just announced an unprecedented software program called DreamSpark.  The program is focused on providing millions of college and high school students with no-cost access to the latest Microsoft developer, designer tools and Microsoft platform resources....

Visit HerosHappenHere and register to attend one of the US launch events and you will go home with some free software.  Here’s what we’ll be giving out at our launch events in the US:Windows Server 2008 Enterprise RTM (64- and 32-bit) that includes a product key, not for resale for evaluation.  The...

The release date of SQL Server 2008 has been moved until the third calendar quarter, according to an article in The Data Platform Insider posted by Francois Ajenstat, Director of Marketing for SQL Server.  In Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Roadmap Clarification, he explains that a feature complete Community...

SQL Server 2008 Virtual Training now available in six parts:Part 1: What’s new in SQL Server 2008 for Database AdministratorsPart 2: Implementing Change Data Capture (CDC) in SQL Server 2008Part 3: Working with the new DATE data type in SQL Server 2008Part 4: Administering Servers by Using Declarative...

Ten one-hour web sessions for developers on Microsoft SQL Server 2008 are available between January 8-30.  Classes include what’s new in SQL Server 2008, how to implement new features, how to build disconnected systems and several business intelligence (BI) sessions that include SQL Server Reporting...

With CTP5 we now have shipped most of the features that we will deliver in SQL Server 2008.  You can download CTP5 from the Microsoft Download Center.Improvements you’ll find:Data Collection and Performance Warehouse for Relational Engine Service Broker Enhancements Registered Servers Enhancements Synchronous...

The SQL Server 2005 Migration Lab has been rescheduled for January 28-31 in Redmond.  This is great news because you still have the opportunity to register for this lab.The purpose of the lab is to provide an enhanced level of assistance to a select group of our most valued ISV partners to support their...

E-Learning Collection 6187: What's New in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is now available.  In this 3 hour online collection, developers will learn about the new features in SQL Server 2008.  Topics covered include what’s new in:Database DevelopmentBusiness IntelligenceEnterprise Data PlatformVisit the E-Learning...

Have you started adapting your SQL Server 2000-based solutions to SQL Server 2008?  Mainstream support for SQL Server 2000 ends on April 8, 2008.  Get a jumpstart on your migration and leverage new features in SQL Server 2008 by participating in the Metro SQL Server 2008 Rhythm program.  This Rhythm...

The 2008 Microsoft Launch Wave is about to begin.  With the combined launch of Microsoft Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008, the 2008 Launch Wave will be the largest outreach to IT Pro’s and Developers in Microsoft’s history.  We expect to reach over 225K attendees in person...

Explore ISV business opportunities with Microsoft.  Visit us in San Francisco during Oracle OpenWorld on November 11.Learn about the Microsoft strategy, Software + Services and, in particular, how Office Business Applications (OBAs) and (Microsoft) Business Intelligence uniquely help Microsoft partners...

This webcast will present new features in SQL Server 2008 that make it one of the most exciting releases ever for Developers.Topics include: Expanded language support (Filestream support, New Types, and Statements), XML and Web services, Deep Tools and Runtime integration.  Core technologies covered:...

Get developer training for PerformancePoint Server 2007 based offerings.  This free training covers the Monitoring and Analytics portions of PerformancePoint Sever.  Attendees will be able to create KPIs, insert them into scorecards, and place them into dashboards along with dynamic charts and grids.This...

Look for improvements in the way policies are set up in SQL Server 2008 when Microsoft releases the next community technology preview (CTP) of the database server. Those participating in the CTP program of Microsoft's next generation database server will notice some significant improvements.  Perhaps...

Microsoft will launch Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 together on February 27, 2008 in what will be our single largest launch ever.  ISVs with applications developed on or with one of these technologies will have opportunities to participate in the launch, either as sponsors,...

CTP3 of PerformancePoint Server 2007 is now available from the Connect site. This update contains updated Monitoring and Analytics functionality.  A Monitoring SDK will soon be available, and then by mid-August CTP4 will include updates to the Planning module.Need more information on PerformancePoint...

CTP 1 of SQL Server 2008 was announced at TechEd last month.  There are 4 key areas for SQL Server 2008’s data platform vision:Mission-Critical Platform – SQL Server 2008 enables IT groups to be more productive by providing a more secure, scalable, and manageable platform. It includes a new policy-based...