Windows (.NET) Server 2003 Release Date

Microsoft has set the official launch date of Windows Server 2003 to April 24, 2003. The operating system product family, which was recently renamed from Windows .NET Server 2003, will launch in San Francisco alongside Visual Studio 2003, the company says.

"Microsoft will unveil [Windows Server 2003 and Visual Studio 2003] and demonstrate how customers can quickly build, deploy and manage a complete server solution for connected platforms," Bob O'Brien, Windows Server Group Product Manager told me Thursday.

Windows Server 2003 is the successor to Windows 2000 Server. It began life as Whistler Server, alongside Windows XP, then known simply as Whistler. However, after the Beta 2 release of both products in early 2001, the release schedules diverged, and Windows XP was eventually released in October 2001.

The name of Windows Server 2003 changed several times during its development. Microsoft told me this week that the change to Windows Server 2003, and away from Windows .NET Server 2003, was made in response to partner and customer feedback. The company is moving toward a branding strategy for its products where ".NET Connected" is the moniker Microsoft uses to identify products that "enable customers to easily and consistently connect disparate information, systems, and devices to meet their people and business needs, regardless of underlying platform or programming languages." Microsoft will use this branding on its own products, and will allow software partners that meet certain criteria do so as well.
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