Microsoft is cooking a couple of new high-end editions of its next generation data platform, Ted Kummert, senior vice president of the Business Platform Division, revealed at the Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS) Community Summit. In this context, the company announced that starting next year, customers would be able to take advantage of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Datacenter and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Parallel Data Warehouse (formerly codenamed “Madison”). According to Kummert, the two new premium flavors of SQL Server 2008 R2 are designed to satisfy customers’ ever increasing needs for scalability.

By the end of this month, early adopters will be able to take the second Community Technology Preview (CTP) of SQL Server 2008 R2 for a spin. Microsoft indicated that the new SQL Server 2008 R2 CTP bits would be offered to MSDN and TechNet subscribers by the end of November. The company continues to remain committed to delivering the final version of SQL Server 2008’s successor in the first half of 2010. All indications point to the fact that Microsoft is right on track to shipping SQL Server 2008 R2 by mid-2010.

A member of the SQL Server team revealed that, “the two new editions of SQL Server 2008 R2 include: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Datacenter together with Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter, provide a foundation on which to build enterprise-class solutions, with support for 256 logical processors, unlimited virtualization, high-scale complex event processing, and application and multi-server management.”

In addition, customers needing to run high-scale, mission-critical applications will also be able to leverage SQL Server 2008 R2 Parallel Data Warehouse. Formerly codenamed “Madison,” this specific SQl Server 2008 SKU “extends Microsoft’s leadership in data warehousing by offering massive scalability for the 100+ terabyte data warehouse at low total cost of ownership,” the SQL Server team representative added.