Before BizTalk Server becomes the powerhouse integration engine we use in production, it lives for years inside Microsoft under a “secret identity.” Microsoft uses codenames to keep development under wraps and allow engineers to refer to projects without the marketing team changing the name every week.
In the past, I wrote an article about BizTalk Server, all logos over time… Now, while searching on the web, I came across a funny curiosity: BizTalk codenames!
📝 One-Minute Brief
Ever wondered what BizTalk was called before it hit the shelves? This post uncovers the internal Microsoft codenames for every major release from BizTalk 2000 to 2010. From the Star Trek-inspired “Voyager” (2004) and “Pathfinder” (2006) to the space-themed “Mercury” (2006 R2) and the final “Prague” (2010), these codenames offer a nostalgic look at the evolution of the world’s leading integration platform.
Microsoft codenames are the names given by Microsoft to products that were in development before being given the names by which they appeared on store shelves.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find all, maybe you can help me complete this list:
- BizTalk 2000 – Codename “Latinum”
- BizTalk 2002 – Codename “Bizet”
- BizTalk 2004 – Codename “Voyager”
- BizTalk 2006 – Codename “Pathfinder”
- BizTalk 2006 R2 – Codename “Mercury”
- BizTalk 2009 – Codename “Oslo” (Initially part of a much larger modeling project)
- BizTalk 2010 – Codename “Prague“
For long-time developers, these names bring back memories of the first CTPs (Community Technology Previews) and beta bits we installed on virtual machines. They represent the “unfiltered” vision Microsoft had for the product before the official version numbers were stamped on the box.
BizTalk 2010 – “Prague”