Microsoft Delays Three Windows Upgrades

Windows Server 2003 SP1, originally promised for delivery during the second half of 2004, is the first update since the server shipped in April 2003.

According to a statement issued by Microsoft Tuesday, the planned delivery date--announced by CEO Steve Ballmer in October 2003--is a target, but not a promise. "As is the case with all Microsoft product schedules, the development cycle is driven by quality with a focus on the needs of our customers, rather than an arbitrary date," the statement noted.

The recent announcement came as no surprise to many following delays surrounding Windows XP SP2. The update initially was expected to be available during the first half of the year but is not expected to enter manufacturing until next month.

CRN recently met with top server executives at Microsoft's Redmond, Wash., headquarters, where it was confirmed that Windows Server 2003 SP1 may not make it out the door by year's end.

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"It's going to be tight," said Bob Muglia, senior vice president of Windows Server Division. Muglia said the test team is concentrating on getting Windows XP SP2 finished before testing SP1 for the server. "Our processes are serialized, and we're using testing resources [on Windows XP SP2], so the test team doesn't get to move on [until it's done]."

Microsoft also announced that the release of Windows Server 2003 for 64-bit Extended Systems will slip into the first half of 2005. Like Windows Server 2003 SP1, the 64-bit release was also expected to be delivered by the end of this year. The company said it expects to ship Windows XP 64-bit for 64-bit Extended Systems in the first half of next year because it is tied to Windows Server 2003 SP1.

"The biggest issue is getting the Windows XP service pack out the door, and secondly, getting 64-bit in production because that's very important," Muglia said.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Release Candidate 2 was announced in mid-June. It includes a variety of new security features including a Windows Security Center and an enhanced Windows Firewall.

The server update will support Windows XP SP2 changes and include a new Windows Security Configuration Wizard. However, more advanced quarantine features--known as Network Access Protection (NAP)--won't be released until the following update to Windows Server 2003, dubbed Release 2, due in 2005.