Server and Tools Business News Bytes blog : Connected Systems Division

Oslo at PDC 2008

grantkd — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:15:00 GMT

Oslo, a set of technical investments that simplify designing, building, managing, and scaling service-oriented and composite applications, is the focus of several PDC sessions this year. Visit this site to learn more about the Oslo modeling platform and what it will do for application development. For an entertaining version of the history of modeling, and to hear industry influencers weigh in on Oslo and what it will mean for developers, click here.

Microsoft Announces Updates to Windows Application Server and .NET Framework 4.0

grantkd — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:00:00 GMT

Today, Microsoft announced a set of new enhancements to the .NET Framework and Windows Server. The enhancements include increased functionality to Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) and Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), as well as a new set of enhanced app server capabilities codenamed “Dublin.” Together, these enhancements represent a significant step forward for Microsoft’s application server, and will facilitate the role of IT by reducing the complexity of composite applications while providing more deeply integrated process capabilities. Microsoft will also be providing a first CTP of the WCF/WF enhancements and Dublin at PDC, giving customers and partners the opportunity to provide feedback on these new capabilities.

For more information on the Dublin announcement, please visit www.microsoft.com/net/dublin.

Connected Systems Division Announces Features for BizTalk Server 2009 and Future Releases

grantkd — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 19:40:00 GMT

Today, the Connected Systems Division announced features for BizTalk Server 2009 and future releases plans, to provide customers and partners with further clarification about what to expect.

1. BizTalk Server 2009:

o Naming Change: Microsoft updated the name of the next release from BizTalk Server 2006 R3 to “BizTalk Server 2009”.

o BizTalk Server 2009 Timing: We will deliver a public CTP by the end of this calendar year. Additionally, BizTalk Server 2009 is on track for availability in the first half of calendar year 2009.

o Features: Five core feature areas of the 2009 release include platform support, SOA & web services, business to business integration, device connectivity and developer and team productivity.

2. Future Plans:

o Ship Rhythm: Microsoft’s commitment to maintain a rhythm of releases roughly every 2 years.

o High-Level Themes: Microsoft’s priorities for the next couple of releases include:

§ Developer productivity enhancements (e.g. complex mapping);

§ Enhanced B2B support (e.g. complex trading partner management, expanded industry standards and schemas);

§ Low-latency messaging enhancements and ESB Guidance;

§ Enhanced device support for cross-enterprise asset tracking, enterprise manageability of devices, and key industry standards;

§ Real-time business event visibility through BI / BAM Enhancements; and

§ Integration with the latest new platform capabilities (to take advantage of the latest advances in the .NET Framework, Visual Studio, and Windows Server).

For more information on the BizTalk Server roadmap announcement, please visit the BizTalk roadmap page and PressPass Q & A with Oliver Sharp.