This morning in Barcelona @ Tech ED/IT FORUM , Microsoft announced among other event news, detailed packaging, pricing and licensing information for Windows Server 2008.  Windows Server 2008 is available in eight versions, three of which include Hyper-V:

• Windows Server 2008 Standard. This version has built-in, enhanced web and visualization capabilities, powerful tools that give customers greater control over their servers and streamline configuration and management tasks, and enhanced security features that work to harden the operating system to help protect their data and network and provide a solid, highly dependable foundation for businesses. With Windows Server 2008 Standard edition, customers get one virtual instance per licence.
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise. Windows Server 2008 Enterprise has the same features as Windows Server 2008 Standard, but with Windows Server 2008 Enterprise edition, customers get four virtual instances per licence.
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter. Windows Server 2008 Datacenter delivers an enterprise-class platform for deploying business-critical applications. It helps customers improve availability and security features, and reduce infrastructure costs, by consolidating applications with virtualization licensing rights. And with Windows Server 2008 Datacenter edition, customers receive unlimited virtual instances per licence.

Two versions offered without Hyper-V are targeted at specific workloads:

• Windows Web Server 2008. Designed to be used as a single-purpose web server, Windows Web Server 2008 delivers a rock-solid foundation of web infrastructure capabilities in the next-generation Windows Server 2008. Integrated with the newly re-architected Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0, ASP.NET, and the Microsoft .NET Framework, Windows Web Server 2008 helps enable any organization to rapidly deploy web pages, websites, web applications and web services.
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems. Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems is optimized for large databases, and line-of-business and custom applications, providing high availability and scalability up to 64 processors to meet the needs of the most demanding and mission-critical solutions. Support for Itanium-based systems will now be offered through the new Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems edition, targeted at customers using the Intel Itanium platform and designed for these specific workloads.

Microsoft will also offer a range of versions of Windows Server 2008 without Hyper-V:

• Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V

All will be available in 32-bit or 64-bit versions, with the exception of Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems, which will only be available as a 64-bit version. Other changes include the availability of Windows Web Server 2008, a 64-bit edition of web server. The Hyper-V feature will only be available with 64-bit editions of Windows Server 2008.

Pricing for all Windows Server 2008 products will be increasing by approximately 1 per cent for all distribution channels. Estimated MSRP* are listed by each version below:

• Windows Server 2008 Standard: $999 (with five Client Access Licenses, or CALs)
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise: $3,999 (with 25 CALs)
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter: $2,999 (per processor)
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems: $2,999 (per processor)
• Windows Web Server 2008: $469
• Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V: $971 (with five CALs)
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V: $3,971 (with 25 CALs)
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V: $2,971 (per processor)

Thank you and have a wonderful day,

Eric Ligman
Microsoft US Senior Manager
Small Business Community Engagement
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights