Microsoft offered official confirmation that it is hard at work cooking a pair of Windows 7 releases at the end of 2009, but no later than January 2010. The Windows 7 client, and the successor of Windows Vista, had its development process already confirmed to be scoped three years following the general release of its predecessor, but Microsoft managed to keep quiet on the remaining Windows 7 being built in Redmond. Well, mum's no longer the word when it comes down to Windows 7 Server, or Windows Server 7 as it is referred to internally, a codename that points to nothing other than a minor release to Windows Server 2008, dubbed Windows Server 2008 R2.

"Throughout the launch of Windows Server 2008 we said we would be keeping with a 2/4 year major/minor release cadence with the next version of Windows Server. So it is appropriate that the name of the next version reflect that - Windows Server 2008 R2," explained Ward Ralston, group product manager, Windows Server. "That release cadence is indeed still the plan for the Server team. I believe a lot of the fuel for speculation comes from the internal development codename: "Windows Server '7' or Windows '7' Server" and what we will be calling it publicly: "Windows Server 2008 R2"."

Microsoft has been making Windows Server platforms available at a pace of 2/4 years associated with minor and major releases. Since Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1 RTM'ed on February 4, 2008, and was launched officially on February 27, Windows Server 2008 R2/Windows 7 Server, planned for finalization at the same time as Windows 7, cannot be anything other than a minor release. Which means that Microsoft will add functions, features and capabilities but will not make architectural changes strong enough to account for a major new version. According to the Redmond giant, Windows 7 and Windows 7 Server are planned to RTM simultaneously and will feature the same core (codebase) just as Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 did.

"It is important to note that Windows Vista shipped a year earlier than Windows Server 2008, so the client version of Windows 7 will have an extra year of development. The client in fact will be a major release, but, as we've said before, compatibility with previous versions of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 is a design goal", Ralston added.