SQL Server 2005 SP2 Now Available

Dave — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:33:00 +0000

Microsoft has officially released SQL Server 2005 SP2.

Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 Express Editions Set Free!

Dave — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 18:10:00 +0000

Microsoft has announced that Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 Express Editions will remain free permenantly.

Initially, Microsoft was promotionally offering the Express Editions of Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 free for 1-year to spur development, with plans to charge $49 for them begining in November 2006.

Microsoft has now changed these plans, and the Express Editions will remain free forever.

This Infoworld Article details Microsoft’s change of plans:

“Citing 5 million downloads since November,
Microsoft has cancelled plans to begin charging for its Visual Studio
2005 Express products, which feature abbreviated developer tools for
hobbyists, beginners, and students. The plan had been to price the
products at $49 beginning in November 2006. Thus far, they have been
available at no charge.”

This is great news for the development community as a whole and a smart move for Microsoft. This will continue to spur the adoption of the .NET 2.0 Framework, and will provide provide a wealth of applications and tools for windows users.

If you haven’t already, and have been wanting to begin development with .NET 2.0 Download the Express Editions Today!

PiRootOfPi Blog » SQL Server

SQL Server 2005 SP2 Now Available

Visual Studio 2005 and SQL Server 2005 Express Editions Set Free!