Microsoft News Tracker

It is still early in August, but Microsoft is already ready to fulfill their promise that the tardy SQL Server 2008 would finally be released in August. There are now seven versions of SQL Server including a Web version for hosting companies. So how do you get your hands on SQL Server 2008?

SQL Server 2008, which has been in beta testing for some time, is now available on the Microsoft Developer Network and Technet. An evaluation download will be available on the company’s Web site on Thursday.

The product is available in seven editions, each designed for the needs of different customer segments. More information about the editions is available on the SQL Server 2008 Web site.

One of the editions that is new with the 2008 release is SQL Server 2008 Web. SQL Server 2008 Web is designed for hosting companies, providing the tools necessary to support low-cost, large-scale, highly available Web applications or hosting environments, according to Microsoft.

On a conference call Wednesday, company executives explained how feedback from customers spurred them to release a major upgrade to the database a mere three years after its previous release, SQL Server 2005.

See, it’s not really all that late. For reference the seven editions are:

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