A new version of SQL Server 2005, codenamed Yukon, is to be launched at a gala event at the Moscone Center in San Francisco today.

As the next version of Microsoft's flagship database management platform, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 is being unveiled by Mike Tuchen, general manager for SQL Server at Microsoft Corp.

SQL Server 2005 features significant enhancements in Enterprise Data management, Developer Productivity and Business Intelligence. First benchmarks for SQL Server 2005, says Microsoft, have established it as the price and performance leader among enterprise database management platforms.

Microsoft is also launching today both Visual Studio 2005 and BizTalk Server 2006. The latter, as its name suggests, vwill be released next year.

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer kicked off the event by highlighting the tens of thousands of customers and partners that played a major role in the product development process, providing ongoing input to deliver the next evolution in Microsoft’s application platform.

“Through deep collaboration with our customers and partners, today we’re delivering powerful new platform capabilities with unprecedented integration between the server infrastructure and development tools,” Ballmer said. “We’re enabling people to gain more insight into their businesses and play an even bigger role in the success of their organizations.”

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 provides an integrated data management and analysis platform that helps organizations reliably manage mission-critical information and confidently run complex business applications. With embedded reporting and data analysis tools included with SQL Server 2005, companies can gain greater insight from their business information, Microsoft said.

“Microsoft’s strategy of tightly integrating the application platform with the underlying operating system enables a bedrock foundation for management, administration, security and tooling that provides a single, consistent, easy experience throughout the platform. Microsoft also offers excellent support for Web services and collaboration," said Anne Thomas Manes, vice president and research director at Burton Group.

"2005 will be a milestone year for Microsoft," she continued.