Five hundred customers receive a copy Microsoft this week released a private beta of its upcoming Yukon database to 500 select customers, a company representative confirmed on Wednesday.Yukon, the code name for the next major release of the SQL Server database, is to feature improvements in areas such as manageability, business intelligence, and development tools. It will offer both 32- and 64-bit capabilities and is expected to ship in late-2004, according to Microsoft.Another 1,500 customers will receive a beta version of Yukon by the end of this month. A much wider public beta test period is planned for the first half of 2004. Software DevelopmentTechnology IndustrySmall and Medium Business