Microsoft Delays Windows Server 2008

Mark Margevicius, a research director at Gartner, said the delay of Windows Server 2008, codenamed Longhorn, was "not surprising." Microsoft has a "reputation for being late," he said, but added that "there's a lot in Longhorn" and noted that "server software has critical components" that Microsoft has to get right.

On the same day that Microsoft announced that the first service pack for Windows Vista would come out later than some had expected, it also quietly announced that the release of Windows Server 2008 has been pushed back to the first quarter of next year.
The earlier announced target for the release of Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn and first made available in beta in 2005, was the end of this year.

The public announcement of a delay was made on Wednesday in the second paragraph of an entry on the Windows Server Division Weblog.

'More Time to Bake'

The entry, by group product manager Helene Love Snell, noted that the blog is intended to provide "an open and honest dialogue about the development process of a product of this magnitude."

So, Helene continued, "this seems like the best place to let you know that 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."

The reason? Helene wrote that Microsoft is happy with the feedback it's getting from the latest product builds but wants to spend more time to reach the expected "high quality bar."

She quoted a Microsoft program manager as saying that Server 2008 is "like a brisket." It just needs "a little more time to bake."

Launch Event

A launch event for Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008, and Visual Studio 2008 has been planned for February 27 in Los Angeles. Assuming Windows Server 2008 is not ready for release by February 27, the other products featured at the event might be delayed.

Snell was quoted by PC World as saying that the anticipated Windows Server Virtualization add-on will have its actual ship date affected, but, as planned, it will still have a beta available for the RTM of Windows Server 2008 and will ship within 180 days of release.

Microsoft officials have reportedly said that scheduled end-of-this-year beta releases of other products based on Longhorn, such as the midsize business server bundle called Centro and the small business server called Cougar, will not be affected.

Mark Margevicius, a research director at Gartner, said the delay was "not surprising." Microsoft has a "reputation for being late," he said, but added that "there's a lot in Longhorn" and noted that "server software has critical components" that the company has to get right.