Looking ahead to BizTalk 2006 and beyond
MS-Watch | at | by Mike
Microsoft is readying has two new releases of its BizTalk integration server in the pipeline, the first of which is expected to ship this year.
Microsoft is working on BizTalk Server 2006 (code-named "Pathfinder") and the Longhorn Server wave BizTalk release (known as Beyond BizTalk Server 2006), according to company insiders.
Microsoft shipped its most recent BizTalk release, BizTalk 2004, in April of last year. Until last spring, Microsoft was planning to make future versions of BizTalk part of an integrated E-business server bundle. But based on customer and partner feedback, according to company officials, Microsoft nixed plans to bundle BizTalk, Content Management Server, Commerce Server and Host Integration Server, and opted instead to continue to release them as standalone, but interrelated, products.