Microsoft Confirms Release Of SQL Server 2008 R2 In May

Microsoft Corp. has announced that the next iteration of its signature database, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, officially codenamed as “Kilimanjaro”, will be available to general public by May this year, according to the company’s Tuesday blog post.

However, previous reports have already indicated 6 May as the launch date of the final version of the database, but Microsoft’s announcement has just confirmed the month of the release.

Unveiled in August 2009, the upcoming version of MS SQL Server 2008 promises improvement across a range of features, such as better server management and data compression features, along with self-service business intelligence (BI) capabilities.

In addition to this, the software maker will further offer a couple of premium iterations of the software, including Parallel Data Warehouse and Datacentre Edition; the former enables companies to have data storage capabilities in hundreds of terabytes, while the latter incorporates complex event processing (CEP) features.

Announcing the launch date, Microsoft SQL Server team quoted in a blog post: “Today, SQL Server 2008 R2 received an official release date. It will be listed on Microsoft’s May price list, and will be available by May 2010”.

It further went on to suggest that the customers having ‘Software Assurance’ could upgrade to the next version and enjoy its benefits without bearing extra licensing charges.