Windows Server 8 Officially Tagged As Windows Server 2012

Microsoft has reworked its naming convention for its server edition of Windows, after it officially named the next edition as Windows Server 2012.

At the Microsoft Management Summit 2012 (MMS) in Las Vegas on 17 April, Microsoft corporate vice president Brad Anderson talked about how Microsoft’s private cloud offering will become even more powerful with Windows Server 8 and announced that the operating system will officially be named Windows Server 2012.

The new “cloud-optimised OS” is due out later this year, Microsoft said.

Windows Versions

In a keynote at the event, Anderson spoke to nearly 5,000 IT professionals about their opportunity to deliver fast, reliable services with cloud computing. His keynote speech highlighted how customers around the world are already using Microsoft System Center 2012, which Microsoft made generally available 17 April for evaluation and purchase to create private clouds. Anderson also discussed how IT professionals can evolve their roles with cloud computing to help their businesses be more competitive.

“Cloud computing gives IT professionals an opportunity to increase their strategic value to their businesses while building new skills,” Anderson said in a statement. “Microsoft’s private cloud solutions help IT professionals become cloud innovators for their companies, managing and delivering the applications people need to be productive across private, hybrid and public clouds.”

On 16 April, Microsoft announced that it would be delivering three primary versions of Windows 8 client for customers: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro and Windows RT. Windows 8 is the official product name for the next x86/64 editions of Windows. Windows 8 Pro is designed to help tech enthusiasts and business/technical professionals obtain a broader set of Windows 8 technologies. It includes all the features in Windows 8 plus features for encryption, virtualisation, PC management and domain connectivity.

Windows RT is the newest member of the Windows family – which is also known as Windows on ARM, or WOA. Windows RT will include touch-optimized desktop versions of the new Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. For new apps, the focus for Windows RT is development on the new Windows runtime, or WinRT.

Microsoft also said it would provide a fourth edition of Windows 8 for the client, Windows 8 Enterprise. Windows 8 Enterprise includes all the features of Windows 8 Pro plus features for IT organisations that enable PC management and deployment, advanced security, virtualisation, new mobility scenarios and more.

Case Studies

Meanwhile, at MMS, Microsoft’s Anderson said IT organisations that use System Center 2012 and Windows Server with Hyper-V for cloud computing are helping their companies move faster, save money and compete better.

The Walsh Group, a construction firm based in Chicago, switched to a Microsoft private cloud to automate delivery of virtualised servers and applications for 5,000 employees. In addition to business efficiencies, the company has been able to reduce hardware and energy costs 20 percent.

“With Microsoft, we are moving beyond virtualisation to cloud computing, so we can automate and manage our IT environment as a whole,” Patrick Wirtz, manager of Technology Innovation at The Walsh Group, said in a statement. “It’s all about giving our engineers, tradespeople and software developers the computing resources they need to build roadways, bridges and high-rises.”

In another case, Apartments.com, a national online apartment search service in Chicago, needed a more dynamic and responsive IT infrastructure to stay competitive in the market and deliver faster service to its 6 million site visitors each month. With Microsoft’s private cloud, the company realised 50 percent faster server provisioning for new services and 75 percent lower licensing costs.

How well do you know your operating systems? Take our quiz.