Well, Visual Studio 2005 Team System is going to include a bug system like BugZilla, source control that sounds damn nifty, some really cool rules inforcement on checkin, reporting out the wazoo, build automation and a SharePoint based site for each project. And all this will be tied together inside the IDE.
Big note about source control: It’s going to be much more stable for remote developers.

I can see some of the reporting features actually being useful in a smaller environment, but I’m betting the licensing costs and hassle of setting it up will negate any benefits you might see. But, who knows, the academic/Select contract might get it for a song, like everything else. Managers are going to be clamoring for the reports and if they are knowledgable enough to get at it, the raw data as well. I’m actually very interested in seeing the backend database design and the prospects of writing a more portable interface.

And, not to be left out, Visual Source Safe is getting revved again, to VSS 2005. Supposedly many of the major complaints about it have been addressed and it will continue to be the recommended tool for smaller shops.

Next up: AD Tips and Tricks