Open-source content management system Joomla has released version 2.5. Joomla has adopted a six-month release cycle recently so expect future developments (and coverage) to come more often.

Several new features have been released in this version including advanced search functionality (including natural language search, auto-complete and stemming), automatic notification of Joomla core and extension updates from the control panel, and most importantly, the CMS now includes multi-database support with the addition of Microsoft SQL Server (previous versions were compatible only with MySQL databases).

“Multi-database support is a huge step forward for Joomla, which is already powering more than 1.6 million websites worldwide. It ensures companies and organization, both large and small, will save even more money and time by adopting Joomla,” said Ryan Ozimek, president of Open Source Matters.

“No longer will Joomla developers be tied down to a particular database or have to spend more money and time integrating other software to get Joomla to communicate with their database. This enhances Joomla’s scalability immensely.”