Microsoft RTMs Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005

Microsoft releases key technologies to manufacturing ahead of the formal launch; BizTalk will get a new CTP.

Microsoft on Thursday released to manufacturing its Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 products, previously known by the code names Whidbey and Yukon respectively.

Officials at the Redmond, Wash., company called the RTM of the technology a significant milestone on the road to the launch of Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005 and BizTalk Server 2006.

Microsoft is holding a launch event in San Francisco on Nov. 7 to officially launch these technologies that have long been in the making.

The company will ship Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005, but BizTalk Server 2006 will not ship until next year.

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However, Microsoft will soon release a CTP (Community Technology Preview) that customers can begin working with as they plan for the release of the next version of BizTalk.

In addition, Microsoft officials said subscribers to the MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) will be able to access the technology later in the day Thursday.

Microsoft has long held to the proposition that it would not ship products until they are ready, and until key customers signed off on them.

"In case you dont know, the VS and .Net Framework development teams have a customer board building applications on our beta software, and we need them all to say were good to go before we can ship (or to tell us that their development schedule doesnt allow them to upgrade to the latest release candidate and thereby excuse themselves from the process)," said John Montgomery, director of Microsofts Developer Division, in his blog on Oct. 4. "So yesterday we got the signoff from the 24 customers (any one of whom can stop our ship cycle)."

Montgomery added: "These customers had a pretty substantial impact on the product, including uncovering some notable 64-bit CLR [Common Language Runtime] issues, and we owe them a big thanks. They bet on us with their projects, some of which are substantial internal applications. Not only that, but they had to deal with upgrades from beta to beta and from CTP to CTP, none of which is really a supported scenario. So these folks went through considerable pain to help us."

Click here to read more about Microsofts Visual Studio 2005 uninstall and diagnostics tool.

Meanwhile, in his blog Thursday, S. "Soma" Somasegar, Microsofts corporate vice president of its Developer Division, said: "This is by far the best Visual Studio and .Net Framework release that we have ever done. I am very proud to be a part of the team that did a phenomenal job of delivering this fantastic product.

"I also want to take this opportunity to thank the community and early adopter customers for their incredible help and invaluable contributions in helping us ship the right product."

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