Home > Workload Solutions > SQL Server > White Papers > Microsoft SQL Server with Dell EMC and VMware Technology > SQL Server evolution
In 2017, Dell EMC and VMware released the results of a survey about trends in SQL Server data environments. The report, SQL Server Transformation: Toward Agility and Resiliency, drew on the experience of the Professional Association of SQL Server (PASS) membership community. The findings show that SQL Server database environments are growing in both size and complexity, fueled by rising data volumes and new business demands. SQL Server databases now sit at the heart of many existing enterprises, powering mission-critical applications, and are being positioned to power new “digital-native” businesses.
In the two years since our survey was conducted, Microsoft has been working to develop the next generation of the SQL Server data platform—SQL Server 2019. In addition to continuing the 30-year-old trend of constant improvement of the core relational engine features and data warehousing, Microsoft is adding new services and features. For example, SQL Server 2019 includes support for Big Data workloads with Apache Spark and Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS).