Next SQL Server in May 2010

SQL Server 2008 R2 will go on sale May 1, 2010, in volume licensing, and media will be available in May. The version delivers important analytics and reporting enhancements as well as scalability and management improvements for the database engine. Beyond R2, Microsoft plans a new appliance platform for large data warehouses and a SQL Server version that delivers advanced database modeling tools.

New Analysis Client, Master Data Management

The most important improvements in SQL Server 2008 R2 include the following:

PowerPivot. PowerPivot is a set of tools that enables Excel 2010 users to analyze large data sets from disparate sources, create reports and charts, and publish the results to other users via SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services and SharePoint Server 2010. Microsoft hopes that the technology will provide a faster, simpler front end to Analysis Services, particularly for users who already use the PivotTable and PivotChart analytics features in Excel.

Master Data Services. SQL Server 2008 R2 will introduce a new master data management component (formerly code-named Bulldog) based on technology acquired with Stratature in June 2007. Master data management technology helps synchronize widely used data sets such as customer lists, product catalogs, and financial reporting hierarchies across multiple systems, making the data more consistent across applications and business units. By standardizing data sets, master data management can make financial reporting and analysis results more consistent across an organization.