When collation is the only tool the above statement is tactless. All the languages I listed get character conversion without collation in SQL Server and other RDBMS. You joined this thread with a crude comment without an alternative solution to the existing problem. Character conversion is a serious problem in all none C++ application the only solutions are collation in RDBMS and text encoding .NET.

SQL Server 2005 Data Types and .NET Data Types Chart.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms131092(SQL.90).aspx

SQL Server 2008 Data Types and .NET Data Type Chart.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms131092.aspx