SPECIAL EDITION - New Look at the Future of BizTalk
by Stephen W. Thomas
Today Microsoft announced an updated Roadmap for BizTalk Server highlighting the next release of BizTalk and outlining plans for future releases every two years. Included with this is a name change. BizTalk Server 2006 R3 will now be called BizTalk Server 2009.
While most people will see this as a simple name change. What this represents is Microsoft's commitment to BizTalk Server as an Enterprise Class Integration Platform. This new name combined with the forward looking roadmap clearly showcases the future of BizTalk, which until now was a little unclear.
What to expect in the 2009 release of BizTalk:
- Support for the latest Microsoft Platforms including Hyper-V Virtualization, Visual Studios 2008, .Net 3.5, SQL 2008, and Windows Server 2008.
- Enhancements to SOA and Web Services, B2B Integration, and Developer Productivity.
- Additional enhancements driven by customer feedback.
Oliver Sharp talked about a release of BizTalk 2009 in the first half of 2009 and a CTP build available by the end of the year.
And best yet! We have a new logo for BizTalk Server 2009!
You can get all the latest info about BizTalk Server and BizTalk 2009 on the BizTalk Gurus Aggregated Blog Site (RSS) or on Steven Martin's blog.
Looking to Brush Up On your BizTalk Skills? Try MSDN Virtual Labs.
No matter how long you have been working with BizTalk, it is always good to refresh your skills from time to time.
I am a big fan of the on-line Microsoft Virtual Labs. They are short, feature-based labs with the environment already set up for you. Best yet, they are FREE!
See all of the available BizTalk Virtual Labs at: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/virtuallabs/aa740373.aspx
New Samples and Videos Coming Soon to BizTalkGurus.com
I am currently working on some new samples and short videos that I hope to post to BizTalkGurus.com soon. These samples include working with Collections Inside BizTalk, By-Passing the Message Box with Large Messages, and more.
Keep an eye out for this new content soon!
Comments or Suggestions?
I welcome comments, questions, and suggestions. After all, this newsletter is about delivering content you want to hear about! Feel free to contact me through the forum or via e-mail.
Until next time...
Stephen W. Thomas -
BizTalkGurus.com
The Bottom Line:
Just when I said I'd publish this newsletter every few months, I look back and notice it's been almost 7 months since the last newsletter. |
