Microsoft Releases Previews

Oh joy.

Two long-awaited Microsoft releases are now available in trials. The Redmond, Washington-based company made the first release candidate of Windows Server 2008 available for downloading on Tuesday, following the start Monday of beta testing for Vista Service Pack 1.

The company said in a statement that the Windows Server 2008 release candidate indicates that “engineering, development, and beta testing are making significant advancements” and that the server code is entering final testing.

The new server features Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 and enhanced network and clustering technologies. One of the most anticipated new features is its virtualization technology, codenamed Viridian.

I can hardly wait. Two new products that will have end users completely confused. I can see the support calls now. Although, I do think it’s cool that Microsoft is finally going to release another Windows Server version (cough).