What's new in SQL Server 2025 and Azure SQL Databases

SQL Server 2025 and Azure SQL Databases introduce a major shift in how databases participate in modern, AI-driven architectures. With native support for vector data, embeddings, REST integration, and powerful new T-SQL capabilities, the database is no longer just a storage engine but becomes an active component in intelligent applications. In this session, we focus on two key innovation areas: AI & intelligent data workloads and developer productivity. We explore how new features such as the vector data type, vector search functions, and direct calls to embedding models enable semantic search and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) scenarios directly from SQL Server and Azure SQL. We then dive into the expanding T-SQL feature set that significantly improves developer efficiency, including: * Calling REST endpoints from within the database * Using regular expressions for advanced pattern matching * Fuzzy string matching for data quality and deduplication * Enhanced JSON processing for semi-structured data The session will be practical demos only and helps you understand not just what is new, but how and when to use these features effectively in real-world SQL Server and Azure SQL solutions.