MS SQL Server 2012 Denali, Next Version of SQL Server

Microsoft release Microsoft SQL Server 2012 CTP1 - Community Technology Preview for community free download at Microsoft Downloads.
Database professionals can find more information about SQL Server 2012 release date of this first CTP and download setup files from Microsoft Downloads portal.
SQL Server admins and t-sql developers can refer to How to Install SQL Server 2012 - Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Installation Guide for a sample Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Enterprise Evaluation Edition setup on Windows 7 Ultimate operating system.
For installation prerequisites for MS SQL Server 2012 please refer to Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Requirements.
After you download Microsoft SQL Server Denali CTP version, I strongly suggest database administrators and developers to download SQL Server 2012 sample databases too.

Microsoft has long ago started on project named Denali, codename of MS SQL Server 20112.

Microsoft has long ago started working on the next version of MS SQL Server, the data platform before releasing the MS SQL Server 2008 R2 version. Many IT professionals were expecting the SQL Server 2008 R2 to be announced as the MS SQL Server 2010. And many search the torrents for SQL Server 2010 download. But just as other Microsoft products like Windows Server 2008, the new product releases were named as R2 waves. After a 5 years period between SQL Server 2000, the SQL Server 2005 was announced. Only a three years later the mature data platform product of Microsoft, SQL Server 2008 was introduced to database professionals. Especially its enhancements in data ETL performances, data mining features the SQL2008 is considered as one of the best products that Microsoft has produced for customers. Following this success the SQL2008 R2 and Windows 7 were also glady accepted by Microsoft customers. And now the Microsoft is preparing a new version the successor of SQL Server 2008 with a codename Denali. The next version of SQL Server is expecting to be ready for launch at the beginning of third quarter in 2012.

If project goes as planned the successor the new SQL Server 2012 version will be available for use in the middle of year 2012. So speculations about the name as Microsoft SQL Server 2010 or SQL Server 2012 will be meaningless.

Here is a screenshot from Microsoft SQL Server 2012 aka SQL Server Denali CTP 1

You can see that when we select @@VERSION build-in parameter on a SQL Denali, we can see the SQL Server engine build numbers as follows :

Microsoft SQL Server "Denali" (CTP1) - 11.0.1103.9 (Intel X86)
  Sep 24 2010 22:02:43
  Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation
  Enterprise Evaluation Edition on Windows NT 6.1 <X64> (Build 7600: ) (WOW64)

If you are following the naming of Microsoft for beta products, you will remember that SQL Server 2008 R2 was first named as Kilimanjaro. The codename of MS SQL Server 2012 is Denali which means "the great one" is the name of a mountain in Alaska. After Yukon, the codename of SQL Server 2005, which is also a region name in Alaska, an other codename whose origin is Alaska is being used. Denali is the highest summit in Alaska, will now give its name to the most exciting SQL Server version, Microsoft SQL Server 2012.

Today, nothing is officially announced about the content of the next version of SQL Server, MS SQL Server 2012. But a combining and improved platform for the Business Intelligence tools is my number one focus point of SQL Server 2012. T-SQL enhancements will introduce new tsql statements that will make development on SQL Server easier. There will be absolutely SQL Server Management Studio improvements (SSMS enhancements). You know with the launch of Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 in April, the BIDS or Business Intelligence Development Studio and the SQL Server Management Studio which are a part of SQL Server 2012 will reflect the changes in GUI of Visual Studio 2010 on the data platform tools side. So we will probably improved, bug free, powerful tools for SQL Server developers and for database administrators as well as Business Intelligence professionals.

There are wishlists that are published from community members and we can expect Microsoft to include some of these requests to be in the successor of SQL Server, MS SQL2012. Bringing solutions for the wishlists, will definitely make the community to wellcome the new SQL Server version. This approach will increase the user experience and user friendliness among SQL Server professionals.

I'll try to pass you the information as soon as I'm informed about the new features and enhancements in data computing that will be introduced for sql developers, BI developers, Business Intelligence experts, SQL Server database administrators and IT professionals from this corner in Kodyaz. I hope soon to inform you the first CTP download link of MS SQL Server 2012.
(11/10/2010) Microsoft release SQL Denali, the first pre-release version Microsoft SQL Server 2012 CTP1 for free download and install of SQL Server community at Microsoft Downloads web portal.