Ready, Set, Evaluate! Windows Server “Longhorn” Reaches Beta 3
Canadian technology partners and customers ready to test drive Windows Server “Longhorn”
Mississauga, ON – April 25, 2007 - Microsoft Corp. today unveiled the first publicly available test version of the next edition of Windows Server®, code-named “Longhorn.” In Canada, technology partners and customers like Compugen and PCL Constructors are ready to evaluate the enhanced flexibility, control and protection built into Microsoft® Windows Server “Longhorn” Beta 3, available for download today at http://www.microsoft.com/getbeta3. The final version of Windows Server “Longhorn” is on track for release to manufacturing in the second half of 2007.
“With Windows Server “Longhorn” beta 3 Microsoft is delivering on customers’ requests for greater control, flexibility and security,” said Andrew Dixon, director of Microsoft Windows Server System, Microsoft Canada Co. “As Canadian customers and partners begin to evaluate it, they will see first hand how Windows Server “Longhorn” will help reduce costs and empower IT professionals to respond to evolving business needs. We encourage partners and customers to download and evaluate Windows Server “Longhorn” beta 3 today.”
IT professionals face increasing pressure from rapidly changing technology, security concerns, increasing costs and expanding business needs. Windows Server “Longhorn” builds on the improved reliability and security of Windows Server 2003 R2 to help alleviate these pressures by addressing the automation of daily management tasks, tightening security improving efficiency and increasing availability.
According to Microsoft internal research, approximately 70 percent of an IT budget is devoted to daily management tasks, indicating a high demand for services such as help desk, infrastructure health monitoring, and systems and update management. Windows Server “Longhorn” helps simplify administration tasks via improved event logging, task scheduling, enhanced remote management and the powerful scripting capabilities of Windows PowerShell™.
In addition, innovative security technologies help prevent future attacks by helping reduce the server footprint and potential attack surface with the new Server Core installation option, and by providing ongoing health monitoring and compliance through new features such as Microsoft Network Access Protection (NAP), Read-Only Domain Controllers and the Windows® Firewall with Advanced Security. The newest version of Microsoft’s web server, Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0, also provides a more secure, extensible platform for efficiently managing and reliably hosting Web applications and services. Microsoft is today announcing the availability of the IIS7 Go Live license, which will allow customers to host Web applications and .NET 3.0 Web services on Windows Server “Longhorn” Beta 3 in live production environments.
Efficient and ready access to business data from virtually anywhere is necessary to keep businesses productive and connected. New remote access features such as Terminal Services Gateway, Terminal Services Easy Print, Terminal Services RemoteApp provide end users with dramatically improved experiences and more scalable remote access to centralized applications and server resources.
“At PCL Constructors, technology solutions are an important factor underlying our business success. We are very excited to work with Compugen to try the new branch office, security and server automation capabilities in Windows Server ‘Longhorn’,” said Shane Crawford manager of infrastructure at PCL Constructors Inc. “Today many of our new construction sites become remote branch offices that need to run as full fledged members of our network. Windows Server “Longhorn” will not only help simplify branch office management for our system administrators but will also give our remote office employees better technology tools to help them drive the business forward.”
To help IT professionals improve the availability, reliability and performance of their infrastructure, Windows Server “Longhorn” includes simplified failover clustering, dynamic partitioning and auto-tuning networking features to automatically manage system resources and help ensure that customers have uninterrupted and optimized access to their company network.
Today in Beta 3, customers will see new features and enhancements that include stronger security, better performance, new server roles and features and additional server management and remote administration tools.
Some of the new or improved features in beta 3 include:
| • | Windows PowerShell is now included in the product. |
| • | Active Directory® Federation Services improvements allow customers to implement new policies and make it easier to set up a relationship between trusted partners. |
| • | The Server Core installation option now comes with additional roles and enhanced functionality, such as print services and Active Directory Lightweight Services. |
| • | The Server Manager console includes additional remote administration tools to provide a more integrated management environment. |
| • | Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, now on by default, provides a persistent and more secure environment beginning at install. |
| • | NAP is integrated with Microsoft Update and Windows Update to give administrators the ability to decide which updates are critical and set policies accordingly. It also has a new administrative interface for simplified setup, scalability and better performance. |
Intel of Canada and Compugen are among the Canadian technology partners welcoming the Windows Server “Longhorn” Beta 3 release.
“Intel and Microsoft demonstrated Windows Server “Longhorn” at the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing last week,” said Doug Cooper, Country Manager, Intel of Canada. “The demonstration, showcased Longhorn and Windows Server Core and showed that Longhorn running on Intel quad-core Xeon processors translates into running up to eight core virtual machines with "hot add" features, helping to increase data center uptime and providing unprecedented energy-efficiency, flexibility and IT productivity.”
“We believe that Windows Server “Longhorn” will shake up the server and data centre market and address the virtualization, security and branch office needs of many of our customers,” said Marty Grosh, Director of Enterprise Services at Compugen Inc. “New out-of-the box functionality, including enterprise-level security, productivity improvements for branch office workers, and delegated authority for system administrators will enable IT managers to spend less time on day to day maintenance while providing new capabilities for their people.”
The Beta 3 release of Windows Server “Longhorn” marks the beginning of the second wave of innovation to be delivered by Microsoft over the next year. Following on the heels of the successful launch of Windows Vista™ and the 2007 Office system are Windows Server “Longhorn” and the next versions of Visual Studio®, code-named “Orcas,” and Microsoft SQL Server™, code-named “Katmai.” These products will provide organizations with an advanced development and Web platform as well as streamlined data management and analysis, enabling infrastructure optimization.
Microsoft Canada will also be hosting a series of TechNet events focused on the Future of the Server Room in May. IT professionals in Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver can sign up to attend at http://www.microsoft.com/canada/technet/fosr/default.aspx
©2007 Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft, Windows Server, Windows PowerShell, Windows Firewall with Advanced Security are either a registered trademarks or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
About Microsoft Canada
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Co. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq "MSFT"), the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Microsoft Canada is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario with MSN.CA offices located in Toronto and eight regional offices across the country. The company supports local communities across Canada by creating innovative technology and partnerships that help people realize their full potential.
©2007 Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
