What Does Windows Server 2008 Mean To My Organization?

Microsoft's server operating systems hold a majority stake in enterprise data centers. According to Forrester's Business Technographics® May 2006 North American And European Enterprise Infrastructure And Data Center Survey, 80% of the 767 surveyed enterprises reported Microsoft as their primary server operating system vendor. Microsoft will ship Windows Server 2008, formerly code-named Longhorn, to manufacturers in late 2007. While there are key enhancements in virtualization, manageability, and security in Windows Server 2008, even firms that are eager to keep their server infrastructure current and migrate to 64-bit platforms should weigh the enhancements against the maturity of the operating system (OS). To prepare for the rollout, firms should get the public beta into the hands of their administrators so they can start to understand the potential benefits and challenges.