Application Integration and E-Commerce Overview

BizTalk Server 2010 may be the last major version of the product for several years. BizTalk Server 2010 adds support for Windows Server 2008 R2, Visual Studio 2010, and SQL Server 2008 R2. It also includes new components to help customers expose line-of-business application functionality outside of their organizations, improved tools, and management capabilities that could reduce the burden on developers and IT personnel.

BizTalk Server 2010 R2, a minor upgrade, was announced in Dec. 2011 and will probably arrive in the first half of 2013. Additions will include support for the upcoming Windows Server 2012, SQL Server 2012, and Visual Studio 11 products. BizTalk 2010 R2 will offer improved integration with cloud-based services such as the Windows Azure Service Bus, better performance and scalability, and more flexible licensing to help organizations working with BizTalk hosting companies.

Although Microsoft has previously discussed a subsequent major version of BizTalk Server, the company has more recently suggested that instead the current product will receive minor updates and maintenance releases for several years. It is likely that efforts will shift to delivering messaging and workflow enhancements (such as line-of-business adapters and message transformation mappings) to the Windows Azure platform.