Microsoft roadmap tidbits from WPC

Microsoft execs talked some roadmap stuff at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference.

SQL Server 2008 continues its dance with destiny. On Wednesday, Microsoft corporate vice president Bob Kelly, said the much-delayed database will be on the August price list. And, hr pointed out helpfully, there will be no price hikes “unlike Oracle.”  

Small quibble: The fact that the new database is on the price list is no guarantee it will actually be available in August. That price list statement “lets customers and partners know that Microsoft expects to meet its deadline to deliver a new release within the Q3 timeframe,” a spokesman said via email.

Given that some corporate accounts were told (by Microsoft) that they’d get their final code last week, this is puzzling. Oh well.

CEO Steve Ballmer said the next Office Communications Server is due “later this year.” But that gets into the whole ‘did he mean calendar year or fiscal year?’ debate. Any guesses?

Also: Hyper-V hit Windows Assurance this week; SBS 2008 and Windows Essential Business Server are promised for GA November 12; System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 and Microsoft Application Virtualization betas are now available; and the next release of Windows HPC 2008 is on for the fall.