Redmond has scaled back its ambitious plans to get the server party started by sidelining its 2008 version of sequel server – which was originally supposed to hit manufacturing at the end of last year – to the third quarter.

SQL Server 2008 had been expected to join the biggest single day of launches in the software giant's history on 27 February, alongside 2008 versions of Windows Server and Visual Studio, but Microsoft admitted in a blog post on Friday that it has once again delayed its release.

Microsoft SQL server product director Francois Ajenstat said, after a tremendous amount of waffle about how the team has been "gearing up" for next month's launch, that the firm now expects (but still doesn't promise) final release to manufacturing (RTM) of Q3 2008.

He said that while Redmond was still on schedule to deliver its latest SQL Server 2008 within the original rather loosely defined, anything-goes 24-36 month timeframe, it won't be pulling on its bow tie and drinking bubbly in Las Vegas next month afterall.

It's fair to say that Microsoft execs are flushed with uncertainty at the moment, as the firm's numerous apps jockey for position in its Windows roadmap.

Just last week tongues were set wagging about the possibility of Microsoft pushing forward its release of Windows 7, the successor to the operating system almost everyone loves to hate, Vista.

In August last year, Microsoft acknowledged that Windows Server 2008 wouldn't be ready to ship by the end of 2007 as planned.

This latest roadmap revision, which Ajenstat described as being vital to satisfy the "high quality" expected by the multinational tech firm's punters and partners, will undoubtedly add a layer of frustration among companies planning to upgrade their systems. ®

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