Microsoft Announces Virtual Server 2005 RC 1

The Redmond, Wash., software giant said it will ship two versions of the virtualization software--enterprise and standard editions--that differ in scalability. The Virtual Server 2005 Standard Edition will support up to four processors, while the Virtual Server 2005 Enterprise Edition will support up to 32 physical processors, Microsoft said.

Both editions will support 32-bit environments initially, but 64-bit host and client support is planned further down the road. Pricing for the two versions has not been announced.

The virtualization software, acquired from the former Connectix in February 2003, is designed for application testing, migration and server consolidation needs.

Microsoft announced the beta release last February. At that time, executives said the software would be released to manufacturing in mid-2004.