The Heroes Happen Here official launch event for Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008, represents the kick start of Microsoft's vision for what the company's Chief Executive Officer, Steve Ballmer, referred to as a dramatic step forward in terms of a new level of security, in virtualization, reducing complexity, in business intelligence and in user interface and experiences. The release event in Los Angeles triggered no less than 225 similar initiatives around the world, making Heroes Happen Here a truly global launch, where Microsoft was joined by no less than 4,000 customers and partners.

"IT professionals and developers tell us they spend too much time and money managing existing systems and not enough investing in new capabilities that create strategic advantage. That feedback is at the core of the innovations in this new wave of products. Already, the overwhelming response from thousands of IT professionals and developers around the world is that this is the most secure enterprise platform we have ever delivered, and that it will simplify management and enable them to focus more on driving their businesses forward," Ballmer said.

Windows Server 2008 is Microsoft's last Windows operating system that delivers support for 32-bit architectures. The server platform RTM's on February 4, 2008, alongside Windows Vista Service Pack 1. Both Windows Server 2008 (complete with a beta version of the Hyper-V virtualization technology) and Visual Studio 2008 (released to manufacturing in 2007) have been made available immediately. SQL Server 2008 is planned for RTM in the third quarter of 2008. Even though all three product were officially launched, customers can only access a feature-complete, February community technology preview of SQL Server 2008.

"We have been saying that this is the biggest event for IT professionals and developers that Microsoft has ever hosted, and it certainly seems that way," stated David Lowe, Senior Product Manager, Microsoft Windows Server Division. "Windows Server 2008 is our most tested server release ever, with over 3,000,000 copies downloaded and distributed throughout the world since our first public release at Beta 3. We've had customers in Technology Adoption Programs, Technical Beta programs, Rapid Deployment Programs, Go Live programs, and of course, IT professionals and developers have been treated to Community Technology Preview releases through MSDN and TechNet over the course of the development cycle. All of this input has helped us to polish highly-regarded and well-reviewed features such as Server Core, IIS 7.0, Network Access Protection, Terminal Services RemoteApp, Hyper-V, Windows PowerShell, Failover Clustering, Server Manager and more."