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SQL Server 2008 Spatial Data for the Masses with Bob Beauchemin
 
SQL Server 2008 will include two new data types, GEOGRAPHY and GEOMETRY, and a spatial library that is compliant with OpenGIS SQL standards. This library not only applies to geographers but permits \ you to "spatialize" your line-of-business data in any application. At the meeting I'll show you how to populate, query, and optimize spatial data, and how to integrate SQL Server 2008 data with applications such as Virtual Earth.
 
Bob Beauchemin is a Developer Skills Partner with SQLskills. He is a database-centric application practitioner and architect, instructor, course author, writer, and has worked with computers since 1977. He's been an application developer and DBA with relational databases like Microsoft SQL Server™, Oracle, Sybase, and DB2 as well as non-relational databases including IMS/DB, IDMS, and others. Over the past two years he's been teaching his SQL Server 2005 course to premier customers and Microsoft personnel worldwide through the SQL Server 2005 Ascend program. He's provided SQL Server 2005 training to over 500 developers through this program.
 
Bob is lead author of two books on SQL Server 2005, A Developer's Guide to SQL Server 2005 and A First Look at SQL Server 2005 For Developers, and sole author of Essential ADO.NET and has another book, SQL Server 2005 Developer's Guide, in the works for Addison-Wesley publishers. A First Look at SQL Server For Developers has also been made available in a custom CD format. He's written articles on database, data access and XML technologies for MSDN magazine, MSDN online, SQL Server Magazine, Visual Studio Magazine, Java Developer's Journal and others. His latest articles include a pair of articles on SQL Server 2005 XML topics and a series of six articles on ADO.NET 2.0 for MSDN online.
 
Bob has devoted as least part of his time training developers, DBAs, and administrators since 1992, when he presented a course on the Kerberos security system for Open Computing Security Group (now Cybersafe). He's written courses on Microsoft technologies since 1994 including courses in Active Server Pages (ASP), Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS), and SQL Server for Microsoft internal training. His latest courses have been database and data access focused, including OLE DB, ADO, ADO.NET, Java Data Access, SQL Server 7/2000 for Developers, Oracle for .NET Developers, SQL Server Notification Services, SQL Server 2005 for Developers, and Programming Scalable Applications with SQL Server 2005.
 
Bob's has presented lectures and day-long seminars at a variety of conferences including Microsoft's Tech Ed, DevDays, ITForum, and PDC as well as internal Microsoft conferences, SQLPass, WinDev, WinSummit, VS-Live, Oracle World and others. The talks are consistently highly rated. Bob has been assisting customers and providing consulting services related to the implementation of technologies such as SQL Server 2005, Biztalk and Web Services, Web development, and assisted in computer security audits. You can contact Bob at bobb@SQLskills.com.