In case you haven't heard, it was formally announced that a new release of BizTalk Server 2006 is being planned to provide better support for Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, and .NET Framework 3.5.
Here are the major highlights:
- New web service registry capabilities with support for UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) version 3.0
- Enhanced service enablement of applications (through new and enhanced adapters for LOB applications, databases, and legacy/host systems)
- Enhanced service enablement of “edge” devices through BizTalk RFID Mobile
- Enhanced interoperability and connectivity support for B2B protocols (like SWIFT, EDI, etc)
- SOA patterns and best practices guidance to assist our customer’s implementations
The major goodness will still have to wait for Oslo. :)
Next week, the annual Microsoft MVP Summit will be held in Seattle. The event runs for four days and will be split between the Washington Convention Center and Microsoft's campus in Redmond. The majority of my focus will be on Oslo. At this point, I'm not sure how much of the information will be subject to NDA, but I will definitely pass along any interesting tidbits that are eligible for disclosure.
If nothing else, I'm sure that I will be twittering a lot during the week. So, you can follow along with what's happening via my twitter feed: http://twitter.com/jeff_barnes. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to hang out and speak geek with a number of other MVPs and Microsoft employees. It has been far too long since I have spoken with a number of those guys due to my crazy workload over the last couple of months.