Safe Software supports SQL Server 2008

Safe Software today announced that its FME® spatial ETL (extract, transform, and load) platform will support the spatial data capabilities made available in the SQL Server 2008 November Community Technology Preview (CTP). In the FME 2008 beta, SQL Server users will be able to see firsthand how they can use FME’s powerful data translation, transformation and integration capabilities to read and write spatial data to SQL Server 2008.

“Safe Software continues to extend the power of our leading FME platform to address the broad spectrum of spatial ETL challenges that IT and GIS Professionals face,” says Don Murray, President of Safe Software. “We are committed to helping Microsoft SQL Server customers realize the benefits of tapping into their spatial and non-spatial data assets and are pleased to enhance FME to support SQL Server 2008.”

Available in beta today at www.safe.com/beta, FME 2008 provides a graphical authoring environment that enables SQL Server 2008 November CTP users to read and write SQL Server-based spatial data, as well as over 200 other CAD, GIS, raster and database formats. They can also use FME to integrate non-spatial and spatial data for loading into SQL Server 2008. In 2008, Safe plans to further enhance the FME platform by adding automatic spatial index creation.

In FME 2007, Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) users are already able to access the complete set of spatial ETL capabilities of FME from within the familiar SSIS environment ( www.safe.com/microsoft). With the beta release of FME 2008, these users will now benefit even further by being able to use FME’s complete set of spatial ETL capabilities in an environment that combines the best of both worlds - SQL Server 2008’s spatial capabilities and SSIS.

“Customers are seeking an easy and cost-effective way to move their spatial data into SQL Server 2008,” said Ed Katibah, Principal Program Manager at Microsoft Corp. “With its breadth of data translation and transformation capabilities, Safe Software’s FME offers a compelling solution that enables our joint customers to take advantage of the spatial features that will be available in SQL Server 2008.”

“Our enhancements for SQL Server 2008 represents another key milestone in our support for Microsoft customers, says Dale Lutz, Vice-President of Development at Safe Software. “We’re proud to add SQL Server to the extensive list of systems that FME supports so we that can continue to help people to quickly and easily translate and transform their spatial data, no matter where it resides.”

To download the FME 2008 beta, please visit www.safe.com/beta.

To view a movie of how FME works with Microsoft SSIS, please visit www.safe.com/microsoft.