Windows Server 2003 Launches

At a gala event in San Francisco Thursday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer heralded the arrival of Windows Server 2003, bringing to a close almost three years of development and four name changes.


Windows Server 2003 is set to serve as the foundation for Microsoft's Windows Server System, which includes products that run atop the new operating system. Redmond's Real-Time Communications Server, originally code-named Greenwich, and Rights Management Services are slated for release in the coming months.


"This is a very significant piece of work and the highest quality release of Windows Server ever," Ballmer told launch event attendees. "It is not just a small, incremental release of the operating system, it is a breakthrough in terms of security, manageability and the innovations it brings to software developers and information workers who need to collaborate."


Microsoft will immediately ship Windows Server 2003 in four iterations. A fifth edition, Windows Small Business Server 2003, will follow in the third quarter. 13 language versions of the operating system have been completed, according to Microsoft, with the remainder set to be finished within 45 days.


Alongside Windows Server 2003, Microsoft also announced availability of Visual Studio .NET 2003 and SQL Server 2000 for 64-bit systems.


"Windows Server 2003 with Visual Studio .NET 2003 and SQL Server 2000 (64-bit) is the cornerstone of Microsoft's enterprise strategy and lays the foundation for customers to implement integrated, cost-effective solutions that connect information, people, systems and devices," Ballmer said.


Evaluation versions of Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition 32-bit and 64-bit are available for download from Microsoft free of charge. The trial release, approximately 550 MB in size, will run for 180 days.

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