Microsoft PDC conference back again next year

After canceling the 2007 Professional Developer's Conference scheduled for October, Microsoft is bringing back PDC for 2008, with the event scheduled to take place October 27 to 30 in Los Angeles.

Traditionally, PDC is held every 2 years to preview major Microsoft platform advances. PDC 03 highlighted Windows Vista -- Longhorn at the time -- while PDC 05 reiterated that focus with Vista and Office 2007, as well as the recently launched Expression Suite.

PDC 2007 was canceled because Microsoft's major new platform, Windows Server 2008 along with Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008, were already in developers' hands and in the final stages before their launch in February.

In addition, Microsoft has started a new conference for Web-oriented development called MIX and is putting major effort into expanding its yearly TechEd conference. TechEd is larger than PDC and delves into the nitty gritty technical details for IT pros and developers.

But PDC is back on for next year, Microsoft announced Thursday, and the focus is likely to be what changes to expect after Vista. Little is known about Windows 7, as it is most-often referenced, and by October 2008 Microsoft may have more to say. The company will also likely talk about Internet Explorer 8, which developers will hear more about during MIX 08 in March.

PDC isn't the only Microsoft conference to be delayed. The company's Windows Hardware Engineering Conference, or WinHEC, was rescheduled from the spring into the Fall. It's possible the event could run alongside PDC, which focuses more on software than hardware.

"PDC is the definitive Microsoft event for software developers and architects," a company spokesperson told BetaNews. "PDC participants will have the opportunity to hear from executives about the latest platform advancements, and engage in in-depth discussions around upcoming technologies and the future direction of the Microsoft platform."