Currently, there are many disparate tools available for managing the software development life cycle. Examples include Microsoft's Visual SourceSafe for source code control, third-party tools for automating unit and load testing, automated build environments for automating the software build process, and diagramming tools for creating object models and database entity/relationship diagrams. However, it is often difficult and time consuming to integrate these tools into a unified development environment. Microsoft's Visual Studio 2005 Team Services, currently in beta and scheduled for release later this year, provides a unified environment for managing the software development life cycle by integrating an array of extensible tools that manage all phases of the software life cycle (not just source code control) into a standard IDE.  Read more ...