Hello,

Many of you are probably aware that K2 4.5 is our next release of the K2 platform, and will include K2 blackpearl, K2 blackpoint, and K2 connect - all of which will be released simultaneously.

We're about to hold a limited beta this month (December 09) with a few key customers and our Insiders around the world to validate installation and application scenarios across a wide range of environments. Then in January we plan to open the beta to all current customers, so definitely watch for that announcement.

Since the SharePoint conference in October, where we demonstrated our support for SharePoint 2010 along with a couple of new technologies, we've been wrapping up the remaining features of K2 4.5 and making sure that it's ready for beta. Some of the things you'll see include:

• The Configuration Analysis Tool - helps you verify your installation (and even correct some problems just by clicking a button!)
• A much more powerful K2 Designer for SharePoint, where you can insert inline functions, query and filter SharePoint SmartObjects, send customized e-mail notifications, and create dynamic processes that reflect your business process
• Local reporting which does not require SQL Reporting Services
• Memory and performance improvements, across design time and runtime
• Windows Server 2008 R2, SQL 2008 R2 CTP, and (finally) Visual Studio 2008 support
• And much more....

Keep an eye on www.k2.com for videos detailing some of the new features in K2 4.5, and watch your inbox for the availability of K2 4.5 beta early next year.

Until next time,

The K2 PM team