SQL Server 2016 for Developers: Data is the new Electricity

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In the beginning of June, we released SQL Server 2016. With it, we are delivering an end-to-end data management and business analytics solution with mission critical intelligence for your most demanding applications as well as data insights on any device.

SQL Server 2016 is ideal for:

  • Mission critical intelligent applications delivering real-time operational intelligence by combining built-in advanced analytics and in-memory technology without having to move the data or impact end-user performance.
  • Enterprise scale data warehousing with enhanced in-memory columnstore that increases query performance by over 100x vs disk-based solutions. With SQL Server 2016, you can also access optimized MPP scale out software that can be combined with scale out appliance architecture with our Analytics Platform System (APS).
  • Applications requiring the highest levels of security with new Always Encrypted technology that protects your data at rest and in motion without impacting database performance.
  • Comprehensive business intelligence solutions on mobile devices with an end-to-end mobile BI solution built-in that can deliver insights on any device. You can also manage all of your KPIs, mobile reports and traditional reports from a modern web portal.
  • New big data solutions that require combining relational data with non-relational data with PolyBase technology built-in that allows you to query structured and unstructured data with the simplicity of T-SQL.
  • Hybrid cloud solutions that reduce storage costs, improve high availability and simplify IT operations with new Stretch Database technology. This keeps more of your historical data at your fingertips by transparently and securely stretching warm and cold OLTP data to Microsoft Azure on-demand without application changes. In addition, faster replicas can be placed in Azure to give you cost effective disaster recovery and backups.

The SQL Server 2016 editions include Enterprise, Standard, Express, and Developer. In March, we announced that the SQL Server 2016 Developer edition will be a free download to enable broad access to and development on the full capabilities of the latest SQL Server release.

To learn more about what’s new in SQL 2016, you can rewatch the many recorded sessions from our recent Data Driven event. You can also hear Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella share why data is driving business transformation and how you can use SQL Server 2016 to harness your data and transform it into intelligence, insights, and action.