SQL Server 2012 Launches in H1 2012, Now in the Final Production Stages

SQL Server 2012 is right on track to reach commercial availability in the first half of 2012, Microsoft confirmed officially at the PASS Summit 2011 on October 12, 2011.

The event also brought with it the confirmation of SQL Server 2012 as the official moniker for the product formerly code-named “Denali,” although, unofficially the label was hardly a secret.

SQL Server 2012 is the next major iteration of Microsoft’s data platform and the successor of SQL Server 2008 R2.

At the time of this article, the software giant was yet to announce a specific availability deadline for SQL Server 2012.

“The next frontier is all about uniting the power of the cloud with the power of data to gain insights that simply weren’t possible even just a few years ago,” said Microsoft Corporate Vice President Ted Kummert.

“Microsoft is committed to making this possible for every organization, and it begins with SQL Server 2012.”

Along with SQL Server 2012, the Redmond company plans to introduce a number of offerings designed to help customers manage data of any size, be it on-premises or in the Cloud. Kummert announced that the Redmond company will work with the Hadoop ecosystem to provide distributions tailored to Windows Server and Windows Azure.

As its predecessor, SQL Server 2012 will also sport a range of business intelligence enhancements, with Microsoft remaining committed to the evolution of BI capabilities of its data platform.


SQL Server 2012 is now in the final production stages, the software giant stressed, although there’s no telling just when the technology is released to manufacturing.

Early adopters can still download the third Community Technology Preview of SQL Server 2012, formerly codenamed Denali, and test the release to see just what the next version of the Microsoft data platform brings to the table.

SQL Server 2012 CTP3 Demo VHD is available for download here.

SQL Server 2012 CTP3 is available for download here.