Historically, Microsoft publicly announces the next version of SQL Server about a year before it ships. For example:
This was pretty consistent with past releases: about a year before the release, Microsoft would go on record with the features included with the next version, and some companies would be able to start using it in production to prepare for the eventual release.
Well, it’s been about 2.5 years since SQL Server 2022’s announcement, so we’re looking at at least a 3-year release cycle. We might be coming up on the announcements for SQL Server 2025.
They could either announce the next version’s features at Microsoft Build on May 21-24 or at the PASS Summit on Nov 4-8. I’ll be watching the Build session catalog as Microsoft updates it because when Microsoft announces a new product, the related sessions are hidden until after the product is officially announced. It’s free to attend Build online, so if they announce 2025 during a keynote, I’ll tune in to the related general sessions.
I personally love a 3-year release cadence, and I don’t want new versions any more frequently than that. People have a hard time upgrading, and frankly, Microsoft has a hard time shipping that quickly. Just release every 3 years, and make sure the product is actually ready at the time of release. That’s good enough.
I’ve heard some folks say, “Maybe Microsoft is done with SQL Server because they want everyone to move to Azure.” Well, I’m sure they do, but they also acknowledge the reality that many companies host their infrastructure in Amazon and Google. Those clients need SQL Server licensing, because you can’t practically run Azure SQL DB in other clouds.
Microsoft also has to keep releasing new versions of SQL Server because they need to keep cashing your sweet, sweet Software Assurance checks. While SA does come with other benefits, like free licensing for a couple/few passive standby servers for HA and DR, those benefits aren’t priceless. If Microsoft didn’t ship a new version for, say, 5 years, I know some companies that would simply stop paying Software Assurance. Even if these companies don’t actually upgrade that often, they pay for the ability to know that they could upgrade – which means Microsoft has to keep bringing out versions & features.
What might Microsoft add in 2025? Clearly, AI is the buzzword du jour, and Microsoft’s Joe Sack has already demoed some of the Copilot things they’re working on in Azure SQL DB. Copilot integration requires internet connectivity, something that’s easier to integrate in cloud databases like Azure SQL DB. If you try to do large language model work on-premises, you’ll quickly learn that it’s extremely CPU and GPU intensive, and that doesn’t really make sense for a product like SQL Server that’s licensed by the CPU core. I’ll be curious to see how they package AI services to a crowd that sometimes screams in horror at the idea of giving their database servers access to the Internet.
Would you be okay giving your SQL Servers access to the Internet? And what AI-related features would you love to see included?