If you want datetime info, your best choice is a column of the datetime data type !

You'll get a bunch of datetime functions to surve you !

Rule number 3: use the correct data type !

You can use:

Declare @mybigint bigint

set @mybigint =

convert(bigint,replace(replace(replace(replace(convert(char(23), getdate(), 121),'-',''),':',''),'.',''),' ',''))

print @mybigint

Timezone ? You'll need another convert function to substring and reformat it.

btw: SQL2008 will have implicit timezone features with a new datetime data type.

(datetimeoffset)

Keep in mind, you'll end up with converting it back to datetime stuff, so have a second thought about it !