MS-Next

To next to no one’s surprise, Microsoft is going to christen Longhorn Server “Windows Server 2008.” And it might do so as early as next week to coincide with the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in Los Angeles.

How can I be so sure?

Microsoft posted the new name on its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHec) 2007 press site. Here is the link to the site.

If you look quickly (before anyone at Microsoft has a chance to undo this), you will see the new name, too. On the right hand column, the hotlink link for “Windows Server 2008 Reviewers Guide” takes you to Longhorn Server Beta 3 reviewer’s guide. (I’ve included to the left a capture of the box from the Web page, justfor posterity.)

Microsoft’s official response on the new name: “Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation.”

Microsoft’s Longhorn Server team still is on track to release to manufacturing Windows Server 2008 before the end of calendar 2007, officials say. But the big launch of Windows Server 2008 sounds like it’s being planned for the early part of 2008. Given that reality, a 2008 name for the product makes a lot more sense than a 2007 one.

“Windows Longhorn Server” would have been a much more fun name, but given that Windows Server is aimed at businesses, I guess the boring old “Windows Server 2008″ makes more sense.

Source: Mary Jo