Microsoft Corp. today unveiled pricing and packaging details for its forthcoming release of BizTalk� Server 2004, the industry-leading integration solution that is part of the Windows Server System (TM) . Now in its third major release, BizTalk Server 2004 helps customers automate business processes by flexibly integrating applications, trading partners and employees.

Built on the Microsoft� .NET Framework and integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio� .NET 2003 and the Microsoft Office System, BizTalk Server 2004 will deliver enhanced business process orchestration functionality, new business activity monitoring (BAM) and human-based workflow capabilities, and a new, highly scalable rules engine. In addition, the new BizTalk Server 2004 license will include copies of Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, the company's flagship development platform, and Microsoft Office InfoPath (TM) 2003, a new information-gathering program that offers rich, dynamic forms to more effectively share, reuse and repurpose information to streamline business processes. Furthermore, BizTalk Server 2004 will enable Standard Edition and Partner Edition customers to connect to more applications and trading partners than in previous versions of the product and will be localized in nine languages, five more than in BizTalk Server 2002. Current BizTalk Server customers with Software Assurance will receive a license for BizTalk Server 2004.