Bring the Special Ops Tour to YOUR City

Calling all SQL professionals!

Oh yeah, we used that in the last video, didn’t we…

We’re just getting started.

Yes we did, and SQL Server fans from across the country have visited www.specialopstour.com and voted for the cities where they want the tour to visit. As of today the most voted cities are:

1. San Diego, CA
2. Boston, MA
3. Denver, CO
4. Minneapolis, MN
5. Chicago, IL
6. Atlanta, GA
7. Dallas, TX
8. Cleveland, OH
9. New York, NY
10. Detroit, MI
11. Phoenix, AZ
12. Los Angeles, CA
    

There are only a few more days remaining before the survey closes, so if you want to get your city on the list[1] the time to strike is now. Be sure to cast your vote before the next mission begins…

[1] Or, conversely, to keep your city from being bumped off the list.

SQL Server Special Ops Tour

If you’ve been following recent SQL Server news, you know that the next version of SQL Server has lost its “Denali” code name[1] and has been officially named SQL Server 2012.[0] This is actually sort of old news, but I’m mentioning it here because it segues so nicely into the main topic of this post: the upcoming Special Ops tour.

The SQL Server Special Ops tour is a 12-city[2] tour being organized by the SQL Server team. You’ve probably seen tours like this before, with technical experts providing deep insight into the features and capabilities of a new software release. But this is a tour with a twist, and the difference is you.[3] To be more specific, it’s members of the SQL Server community who will select the cities for the tour, and who will help select the topics. You can go to www.specialopstour.com today to cast your votes. There will be even more ways to participate, so check out the site today and watch for more news.

And while you’re there, you may also want to check out just what it is that members of the SQL Server team get up to when they’re not at the office…

Do you see any familiar faces?

[0] You also know that SQL Server 2012 Release Candidate 0 is now available for download, as of this morning.

[1] Although I expect most people on the SQL Server team will be calling it “Denali” for many years to come. After joining the SSIS team this summer I had to dredge through my long-term memory to recall what “Yukon” and “Katmai” and “Kilimanjaro” were.

[2] See the clever tie-in there? SQL Server 2012. 12 cities? Ahhh…

[3] Yes, I’m playing this up a little bit. I’m home sick today (which is probably the only reason why I have time to blog during business hours) and am feeling a bit punchy…