Extended support for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 ends April 12, 2016, but SQL Server 2016 will deliver big changes to performance enhancements.
The Microsoft ecosystem continues to evolve, but this most recent end of life cycle for SQL Server 2005 is a critical event for those IT professionals who are trying to both keep up and plan for the future.
No longer having access to updates and patches poses security and compliance risks, especially for those who have to meet HIPAA or PCI compliances, making it critical for the enterprise to act before the April 12, 2016 deadline.
These conversations and changes have been on-going for a few years now, with many corporations already using newer versions of SQL Server 2012 or 2014 or Azure. Yet Microsoft itself says SQL Server 2016 will be “the biggest leap forward in Microsoft’s data platform history.”
Though many enterprises went through the upgrade process since the end of support for SQL Server 2003, some are continuing to transition. Still others will benefit from enhancements that offer real-time operational analytics, better response times, and overall better results at lower costs.
According to a Forrester report released in July 2014, “Interviewed customers mentioned that with SQL Server 2014 and SQL Server 2012, improvements in management, scalability, and reliability are now at par or better than alternative solutions in mission-critical scenarios.”
SQL Server 2016, though, delivers better insight across data and “always encrypted” technology for enhanced security. This technology protects data at a rest and in transit, “with the master key residing with the application and no application changes required.”
Whether the database is on-premises or across cloud, “always on” offers hybrid solutions that allow DBAs to, “Stretch operational tables in a secure manner into Azure for cost effective historic data availability.”
With a focus on the evolving ecosystem and infrastructure, the newest technologies available with SQL Server 2016 offer security improvements and a lot more.
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