Over on the Sql Stuff blog, Chad's posted a list of new features in next release of SQL Server (due in February). Reading through the list, a few stick out to me:

  • Compressed backup streams (say goodbye to those 12GB backup files)
  • date-only data type
  • HierarchyID data type (don't know much about this one, but it sounds fascinating)
  • Table-valued parameters (could this be the end of my split function?)
  • MERGE statement to insert or update a table depending on whether the row already exists(!)
  • Spatial data types for geography and geometry
  • No longer need IIS to run Reporting Services!
  • Export to Word from Reports

... and one feature called "subspace computation" which I accidentally read as "subspace communication" ... it's the new "Star Trek" feature of SQL Server! :)