14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn, needs to germinate until 2008 in Redmond utero, Microsoft announced. Initially, Windows Server 2008 was planned to be released to manufacturing by the end of 2007. Microsoft failed to confirm the actual RTM date, but all indications pointed to November, with the company emphasizing only that the code will go gold by the end of this year and nothing more. However, Microsoft did come out and made public the final release date of Windows Server 2008, and at this time, the company's last 32-bit server operating system is still scheduled for launch at the end of February 2008. But early 2008 will also be synonymous with the RTM of Windows Server 2008, as the original date slipped into next year due to quality concerns.
"Windows Server 2008, which we have been saying would Release to Manufacturing (RTM) by the end of the calendar year, is now slated to RTM in the first quarter of calendar year 2008. Why? Well, as you know, 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. As one of our leading program managers, Alex Hinrichs, told me, 'it's like a brisket I it just needs a little more time to bake.' And you should try his brisket", revealed Helene Love Snell, senior product manager in Microsoft's Windows Server Division.
Snell additionally emphasized the fact that Microsoft currently accounts for in excess of 300,000 downloads of Windows Server 2008 Beta 3 and that the main Microsoft web infrastructure is in fact running the product with no problems. Moreover, Windows Server 2008 seems to be on the right track for the February 2008 launch. "So you might be wondering how this affects our launch event, which is scheduled for February 27, 2008 in Los Angeles. The answer is simple: it doesn't. We'll be there in LA on February 27 and at venues around the world in the following days and weeks. The launch event will feature Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008," Snell added.
Iain McDonald, the Director of Project Management for Windows Server, also revealed that Windows Server 2008 was on the right course for late February 2008, despite Microsoft having moved the RTM in the first quarter of the upcoming year. He also commented that the evolution of Beta 3 is going extremely well and that it is one of the quietest testing builds in terms of feedback reporting problems.
"Seeing it is my group's job to shepherd the release out the door, I thought I would enter the fray. This is kinda the non story of the year because our launch date is exactly the same as it was before - it's not like people who have got the product before then... My bottom line is no one will remember if something shipped a month late vs. if the quality is not up to scratch. I don't think this is a worry for this release. Regardless of anything else, we'll take as much time as we're allowed to, to get a release out. If we get the opportunity to wait a month & see if the feedback spikes with people running systems in production over Christmas, I'll take it every time," McDonald explained.