In addition to the release of BizTalk Server 2006 R2, we have two other exciting announcements which demonstrate Microsoft’s continued investment in interoperability and the ability of customers to choose how they want to connect their applications.

·         ESB Guidance: Microsoft is releasing its “Microsoft’s ESB Guidance,” which provides architectural guidance, patterns, practices, and a set of BizTalk Server and .NET Framework components to simplify the development of an Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) on the Microsoft platform. This helps remove the mystery and confusion around developing a ESB- and the best part it is free now on CodePlex! You can download the ESB Guidance here.

·         BizTalk Server Adapter Pack: In addition, we are delivering the BizTalk Adapter Pack Beta 2.  Available in H1CY08- it will include adapters for SAP, Siebel, and Oracle DB, as well as ADO.NET Data Providers for SAP and Siebel.  The BizTalk Adapter Pack allows you to connect to your data from any .NET Framework application. After it becomes available – the Adapter Pack will be included in BizTalk Server 2006 R2. 

You can find additional information on today’s announcements by visiting our virtual press room, reading the press release, diving into the fact sheets (BizTalk Server 2006 R2, RFID, EDI, ESB Guidance) and white papers (Real-World SOA, RFID Business Value, BizTalk RFID, Supply Chain).