With the latest versions of client and server operating systems, Microsoft is delivering nothing short of "dramatic network performance benefits." This is the conclusion that the Tolly Group has presented following a comparison of two tandems: Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn and Windows XP SP2 and Windows Server 2003. The results have been comprised into a study commissioned by Microsoft and performed by the Tolly Group entitled "Enhanced Network Performance with Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008." It is clear that with Vista available since November 30, 2006 for businesses and January 30, 2007 for the general consumers, and with Windows Server 2008 scheduled for RTM by the end of 2007, Microsoft is on the offensive with a marketing campaign aimed specifically at the corporate environment.

Here Microsoft is not exclusively interested in the adoption of Windows Vista over Windows XP, but also in the replacement of Windows Server 2003 with Windows Server 2008. With the first service pack for Windows Vista to hit the market simultaneously with Windows Server 2008, businesses will profit to upgrade the client operating system. And Microsoft wants to make sure that it will also be the opportune moment for the swap between Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008. This is why, with the help of the Tolly white paper, Microsoft is connecting the dots between the enhanced TCP/IP networking stack and support and increased network performance and of course added productivity.

"Just upgrading client PCs to Microsoft's Windows Vista can yield throughput and time-to-completion improvements of up to 2.5X over Windows XP. Complete migration of servers to Windows Server 2008 can yield throughput and time-to-completion improvements of up to 3.5X over Windows XP/Windows Server 2003," reads a highlighted fragment from the Tolly Group's study. Just click on the images at the bottom in order to access graphics from the white paper. The Tolly group has addressed both LAN (Local Area Network) and WAN (Wide Area Network) scenarios and the results of the tests are summarized below.