A little like a senior who goes to high-school commencement but leaves with an empty diploma, Microsoft’s latest version of its flagship database will be featured at its big coming out party next month – but the software itself will still be months away.
Microsoft disclosed on Friday that SQL Server 2008 will still be celebrated at the company’s big launch gala on February 27, along with Windows Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. However, it won’t actually be finished until the third quarter of the year.
Instead, what Microsoft will deliver at its “Heroes Happen Here” event in Los Angeles next month will be a “feature complete” community technology preview or CTP of SQL Server 2008, according to a post on a Microsoft TechNet blog called “The Data Platform Insider.”
“Microsoft is excited to deliver a feature complete CTP during the Heroes Happen Here launch wave and a release candidate (RC) in Q2 calendar year 2008, with final release to manufacturing (RTM) of SQL Server 2008 expected in Q3,” the post, by Francois Ajenstat, director of SQL Server marketing, said.
While not entirely unexpected – Microsoft said last summer it was targeting the second quarter of 2008 for the actual release — the delay comes in sharp contrast to the other two products being feted at Microsoft’s biggest launch event of the year.
Visual Studio 2008 is finished and was released to manufacturing in mid-November.
Additionally, Windows Server 2008, perhaps the most awaited of the three products, has been in the release candidate phase of testing since early December, and appears likely to make its debut at the event as scheduled.
Microsoft said the extra time will help it make SQL Server 2008, when it is released, a top notch offering, according to the blog entry.
“Our goal is to deliver the highest quality product possible and we simply want to use the time to meet the high bar that you, our customers, expect,” Ajenstat’s blog post continued. “This does not in any way change our plans for the February 27 launch and we look forward to seeing many of you in Los Angeles and other events around the world.”