Microsoft today announced that the latest version of the world's most widely deployed data platform, Microsoft SQL Server 2012, has released to manufacturing. The company today also disclosed additional details regarding its plans to release an Apache Hadoop-based service for Windows Azure.

"Data is being generated faster than ever before, and organizations need a way to process and analyze all that data," said Ted Kummert, corporate vice president at Microsoft. "Whatever the type or size of data, SQL Server 2012 delivers the platform and familiar tools to manage data, generate actionable insights and help drive business impact."

Furthering its commitment to connect SQL Server and rich business intelligence tools, such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPivot for Excel 2010 and Power View, with unstructured data, Microsoft announced plans to release an additional limited preview of an Apache Hadoop-based service for Windows Azure in the first half of 2012.

To help its customers more cost-effectively manage their enterprise-scale workloads, Microsoft will release several new data warehousing solutions in conjunction with the general availability of SQL Server 2012, slated to begin April 1. This includes a major software update and new half-rack form factors for Microsoft Parallel Data Warehouse appliances, as well as availability of SQL Server Fast Track Data Warehouse reference architectures for SQL Server 2012.