Server and Tools Business News Bytes blog : Windows Vista SP1

Microsoft Announces Vision and Strategy to Accelerate Virtualization Adoption

grantkd — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:01:00 GMT

Microsoft Corp. today articulated an expanded role for virtualization as a key enabler of its Dynamic IT vision and outlined a companywide strategy to help accelerate the broad adoption of virtualization. To help drive its strategy, the company also announced the acquisition of Calista Technologies Inc. to improve the end-user experience for virtualized desktops and applications; an expanded alliance with Citrix Systems Inc. in the areas of client and server virtualization; more flexible licensing options for virtualization using Windows Vista; and new tools that provide best practices to deploy Microsoft virtualization software.

“Very few customers are able to reap the benefits of virtualization today,” said Bob Muglia, senior vice president of the Server and Tools Business at Microsoft. “We estimate that less than five percent of companies are utilizing virtualization technology because it is simply too cost-prohibitive and complex. We believe Microsoft’s comprehensive approach — from desktop to datacenter — is unique to the industry by delivering solutions that address virtualization at the hardware, application and management levels. Our approach is not only one of the most comprehensive in the market today, but we believe it is also one of the most economical. This combination brings a big strategic advantage and cost savings to customers.”

More information on the announcements can be found at: www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/virtualization

Information about Microsoft virtualization technologies and solutions can be found here: www.microsoft.com/virtualization.

Please also visit these blogs for additional info:

Windows Server Division Weblog

Windows Virtualization Team Blog - Guest post from Neal Margulis, founder of Calista Technologies

Windows Vista Team Blog - Guest post from Shanen Boettcher, general manager of Windows Product Management

SoftGrid Team Blog

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Team Blog

System Center Team Blog

Terminal Services Blog - Guest post from Chandra Shekaran, general manager for Presentation & Desktop Virtualization

Microsoft Acquires Calista Technologies, Expands Alliance with Citrix

grantkd — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:41:00 GMT

As reported today, Microsoft has completed the acquisition of Calista Technologies, a leading provider of graphic technologies for next-generation desktop and presentation virtualization solutions. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Calista provides technology that improves end-user experience of 3-D and multimedia delivery for Microsoft multimedia applications, virtualized desktop deployments, and server-hosted virtualized desktops or applications using Windows Terminal Services. The addition of Calista technology to future Microsoft presentation and desktop virtualization products will enable remote workers to receive a full-fidelity Windows desktop experience without the need for high-end desktop hardware, while enabling software vendors to deliver additional capabilities. Calista Technologies is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Microsoft. Financial terms of the deal will not be disclosed.

Microsoft also has expanded its alliance with Citrix Systems to deliver a comprehensive set of virtualization solutions to address the desktop and server virtualization needs of customers. The two companies will work together to deliver and market joint virtualization solutions with Windows Server 2008 to help customers achieve a flexible and dynamic client computing infrastructure.

Microsoft issued a media alert today as advance notice to a live webcast tomorrow in which Microsoft will outline its companywide strategy to accelerate broad adoption of virtualization by customers and the industry.

Windows Server 2008 RC0

grantkd — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:00:00 GMT

Release Candidate (RC0) for Windows Server 2008 will be available for download within the next 24 hours. With this release, Microsoft’s partners and customers can download and experience a Community Technology Preview (CTP) of Windows Server virtualization. For more information, please see our PressPass feature and Windows Server Team blog.

Additionally, Microsoft announced the availability of the Windows Media Services 2008 RC0 and Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7) Media Pack CTP. Windows Media Services 2008 provides 2x scalability over Windows Media Services 9.0 and now supports a Server Core installation, enabling reduced footprints for fixed-function streaming server scenarios. With the new IIS7 Media Pack CTP, customers benefit from dynamic per-file “bit-rate throttling,” which saves network bandwidth while preserving the fast start-up experience for end users. Windows Media Services 2008 RC0 will be available for download at http://go.microsoft.com/?LinkID=7436557; the IIS7 Media Pack CTP will be available at http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=7376760.

Microsoft today also announced the release of Windows Vista SP1 Beta to a select group of approximately 12K testers. This release focuses on addressing specific reliability and performance issues, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards. In addition to the news around SP1, Microsoft also announced that pre-release versions of reliability and compatibility fixes are available today on the Connect site and will later be available via Windows Update. For more information on today’s announcements, please see the Windows Vista team blog, the Windows Experience Blog and a video by Channel 9. In addition, Jon DeVaan, Senior Vice President of the Windows Core Operating System Division, spoke about SP1 in an August 29^th QA on PressPass.