The world’s largest software company let the middle-eastern market take a gander at the SQL Server 2005 and their development tool, Visual Studio 2005, at the September edition of the Gitex conference in Dubai, UAE.
SQL Server 2005 is slated for release later in the year and AME Info, a business-oriented site based in the Middle East, had comments by Rani El-Kik, Server Product Marketing Manager from Microsoft working the Gitex this year.
“The next generation of SQL Server provides an unparalleled data management platform, which includes tight integration with Microsoft Visual Studio to provide comprehensive application development capabilities, and enhanced information management that will enable users to have a better insight into their business processes. Microsoft is committed to the Middle East, and we look forward to delivering SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005 later this year,” AME Info quoted El-Kik.
Highlights include covering the four editions of the product. The Enterprise and Standard editions have both had their functionality enhanced and Microsoft has added the Workgroup and Express editions of the product as inexpensive alternatives to the originals.
“The industry has changed since we introduced SQL Server 2000. With the new SQL Server 2005 product line, we’ve increased the breadth of our data management solutions to offer more choices to customers,” said El-Kik.
“We’re now better equipped to offer solutions that meet the technological and budgetary requirements of our customers.”
Visual Studio 2005 also saw some playtime at Gitex. Microsoft calls the product, currently in its Beta 2 release, a “major milestone” toward the next generation of Visual Studio products.
Some of the changes they are incorporating include the “Team System”, which they say expands the definition and audience reach of the Visual Studio line from developers to development teams and new tools for project managers, software testers, infrastructure and software architects and IT business decision-makers.
They also said the “Team System” offers new features for developers that will help them improve the predictability of successful projects and gain greater organizational efficiency and lower overall development costs.
“SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005 will offer our customers in the region our most powerful, reliable and cost effective database solution and comprehensive development tools to date.”
“We see more and more businesses in the region taking their technology solutions to the next level, looking for closer integration of applications, and how they can leverage their technology investment to enhance business processes and create a competitive advantage, and we believe that Microsoft solutions will prove to be the perfect base to help them achieve their goals,” concluded El-Kik.
John Stith is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
