Microsoft Delays Release Of Windows Server 2008

In a Wednesday entry on the Windows Server Division Weblog, Helene Love Snell, senior product manager with Microsoft's Windows Server group, said the next generation Windows Server isn't quite fully baked.

"Microsoft's first priority is to deliver a great product to our customers and partners, and while we're very happy with the feedback we're getting and the overall quality of the latest product builds, we would rather spend a little more time to meet the high quality bar that our customers and partners deserve and expect," Love Snell wrote.

However, Love Snell noted that the delay won't affect Microsoft's plans for a gala, three pronged mega-launch in Los Angeles next February that will feature Windows Server 2008 as well as SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008.

Windows Server 2008 beta 3, has had more than 300,000 downloads since it was released to the public in April, according to Love Snell.

Microsoft partners are eagerly anticipating the new features of Windows Server 2008, which include network access protection (NAP), terminal services, Bitlocker encryption, beefed up Active Directory services, and virtualization.

The planned virtualization hypervisor, code-named Viridian, is due to ship six months after the release of Windows Server 2008 as an add-on to the server.