Windows Server 2008 is called SP1 - a shameless plug
As I'm sure you're perfectly well aware, Windows Server 2008 just shipped. Let's try that again: Windows Server 2008 just shipped! The server companion of the much criticized Window Vista.
It's been a 4 year journey for a lot of people in our organization. But it's finally out and you can now enjoy the fruits of our labor.
Windows Server 2008 is both and end-point as well as the first station in a longer journey. Let me elaborate a bit on that:
Windows Server 2008 is the last 32-bit server operating system from Microsoft.
We said it before, and we will say it again, the next version of Windows Server is going to a 64-bit release only. In fact Bob Muglia first announced this during IT Forum in Barcelona a couple of years ago. We want to make sure that our customers can take advantage of the good stuff that AMD and Intel put in their CPU's. And transitioning to 64-bit will allow you to run more on a Windows Server, it will allow us to continue to make Windows Server a more secure OS.
Windows Server 2008 is the first deliverable towards modularizing Windows Server for particular workloads.
We worked really hard to start the process of both provide a better layering of the OS as well as ensure that you can deploy Windows Server 2008 for a particular workload (such as Virtualization) and not have to content with the extra baggage of the stuff you don't want, this is referred to as Server Core. The Server Manager will go a long way towards make it very simple to do this.
Windows Server 2008 is the first deliverable towards making Windows Server the best virtualization platform.
Even though Hyper-V didn't make it onto the CD for the release, a lot of effort has gone into making sure that when it is released, it will fit perfectly. Indeed, there's even a Server Core role for Hyper-V. The initial feedback from both beta testers and reviewers looks very good, and we will continue to make Hyper-V the best it can be.
If you're interested in the the journey of Windows Server and why Windows Server 2008's called Windows Server 2008 SP1, here a link to a blog from Iain McDonald explaining it:
http://blogs.msdn.com/iainmcdonald/archive/2008/02/15/windows-server-2008-is-called-sp1-adventures-in-doing-things-right.aspx
