Windows Server Takes the Lead

Following Microsoft's October 2003 Professional Developer Conference, Windows Longhorn (now Vista) desktop progress ran aground. By early 2004, the company retrenched efforts, kicking off the first of several major delays and re-aligning development more closely with its server software. By summer, Microsoft started chucking features, like ballast from a sinking ship.

The server development realignment contributed to further Windows Vista schedule delays, mostly Microsoft internal schedules--or "milestones." It's no coincidence that 64-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Server released to manufacturing simultaneously with the release of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1. Similarly, Microsoft launched SQL Server 2005 and Visual Studio 2005 a few weeks before Windows Server 2003 R2 released to manufacturing.

Windows Vista's development also has closely tracked with Longhorn Server progress. Microsoft released, in December 2005, simultaneous Windows Vista and Longhorn Server betas. In May, Microsoft simultaneously released new Office 2007, Windows Vista and Longhorn Server betas. Similarly, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 is on track for release around the same time Microsoft expects Longhorn Server to be feature complete.

While Windows and Windows Server development have proceeded on fairly parallel development tracks, Microsoft chose to separately ship them. From a marketing and distribution perspective, separate releases is sensible. The company learned lessons from simultaneous Windows 2000 desktop and server releases. The approach proved cumbersome from a marketing perspective and put too much burden on business customers.

By contrast, Longhorn Server's release with Vista desktop SP1 benefits Microsoft and its customers. In a recent informal survey of IT managers, Gartner found that most businesses wouldn't begin production deployment of Windows Vista desktop until fourth quarter 2007. Larger enterprises wouldn't start until second quarter 2008. Presumably, Microsoft would release Longhorn Server and Visa desktop SP1 before early, first deployments.

The "how soon" question looms over business adoption of Windows Vista. Historically, many businesses waited until the release of a Service Pack 1 before seriously deploying a new version of Windows. Microsoft released Windows XP Service Pack 1 around 11 months after the operating system launched, but the update started testing around four months earlier. The timetable Microsoft gave eWeek today would put the first Windows Vista service pack on a similar time trajectory.

Interestingly, Microsoft has taken Windows XP out of synch with Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Longhorn Server development. Last month, Microsoft updated its lifecycle page with startling information: Windows XP isn't due for another service pack until 2008--four years after the release of highly-touted Service Pack 2. I can only interpret that as a little nudge, nudge, as Microsoft seeks to move businesses to Windows Vista.