Announcing several technologies to enable Windows Server 2008 customers to run certain applications designed for Windows Server 2008 R2

Following the tremendously successful launch of Windows Server 2008 R2, a lot of software developers are eager to begin writing applications and drivers that take advantage of some of its new technologies.  To help developers transitioning to Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft is proud to announce the release to Web (RTW) of the Platform Update for Windows Server 2008.  This set of runtime libraries makes it easy for developers to target Windows Server 2008 R2 without sacrificing their customer base running Windows Server 2008. 

These updates include the following:

· The Windows Graphics, Imaging, and XPS Library components for developers to leverage the latest advancements in modern graphics technologies for gaming, multimedia, imaging and printing applications.   It includes updates to DirectX to support hardware acceleration for 2D, 3D and text based scenarios; DirectCompute for hardware accelerated parallel computing scenarios; and XPS Library for document printing scenarios.

· The latest Windows Automation API, which allows accessibility tools and test automations to access Windows user interface in a consistent way across operating system versions.

· The Windows Ribbon and Animation Manager Library, which contains the Windows Ribbon API, a command framework that enables developers to quickly and easily create rich ribbon experiences in their applications, and the Windows Animation Manager API, an animation framework for managing the scheduling and execution of user interface element animations.

For specific details about the Platform Update for Windows Server 2008, please visit Microsoft Product Support.

Microsoft is making the Platform Update for Windows Server 2008 available to customers via Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services and the Microsoft Download Center at no cost.  Because Microsoft is making these libraries so broadly available, we expect customers will find an increasing number of applications using the new features.

Thanks

Justin Graham

Senior Product Manager

Windows Server