If there is one thing that Microsoft is more mute than Windows 7, then it's Windows 7 Server. While the Redmond company has been saying close to nothing about the successor of Windows Vista, it has managed to keep the lid even more tight on the next iteration of the Windows server operating system. But make no mistake about it, just as Windows 7 is designed to be the next major release of the Windows client, so Windows 7 Server is the next major release of Windows Server, set up as the successor of Windows Server 2008.

Microsoft's plans for the next major version of Windows Server are detailed even scarcely than those for Windows 7. According to small slip-ups from the Redmond giant, features such as Business Scanning and Direct Connect (via Bink) (via UX Evangelist) are cooking. Windows 7 Server will also be accompanied to the market by a new version of Windows Server Update Services. And it was in the FAQ for Windows Server Update Services Life Cycle and Road Map that Microsoft confirmed officially the next iteration of Windows Server.

"WSUS 3.0 has been available since April 2007. It was a significant update from the previous versions of WSUS and incorporated customer feedback to enhance the experience. WSUS 3.0 Service Pack 1 (SP1) will be released in the Windows Server 2008 timeframe (sometime in the first six months of 2008) and provide support for Windows Server 2008. Additionally, there will be another incremental release to support the next major release of Windows Server (code named 'Windows 7 Server'). WSUS will continue to provide customers with a way to keep their Microsoft software updated," Microsoft revealed (emphasis added).

With Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1, Microsoft has synchronized its Windows client and server releases. The company indicated that this would be the general rule of development going forward. In this context, as Windows 7 is expected to drop by the end of 2009, Windows 7 Server could also be made available in a time frame of approximately three years following the release of Windows Server 2008.