SQL Server 2012 codenamed “Denali” is now ready for download and available for public consumption. Please check out the following blog post that talks about the general release.
SQL 2012 is specifically targeted at Big Data and High Availability, including a powerful set of feature-rich BI tools like PowerView. Some of the new engine features are :-
- SQL Server AlwaysON
- Contained Databases
- Column Store Indexes
- User-Defined Server Roles
- Big Data (Hadoop)
Again, Books Online is your best resource to read up on the new release and to understand the new set of features.
You can download the evaluation/trial version of SQL 2012 here,
http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/get-sql-server/try-it.aspx
The SQL Dude! 