As noted in my
earlier post about the availability dates for the
2012 R2 wave, we are counting the days until our partners and customers can start using these products. Today I am proud to announce a big milestone: Windows Server 2012 R2 has been released to manufacturing!
This means that we are handing the software over to our hardware partners for them to complete their final system validations; this is the final step before putting the next generation of Windows Server in your hands.
While every release milestone provides ample reason to celebrate (and trust me, there’s going to be a party here in Redmond), we are all particularly excited this time around because we’ve delivered so much in such a short amount of time. The amazing new features in this release cover virtualization, storage, networking, management, access, information protection, and much more.
By any measure, this is a lot more than just one year’s worth of innovation since the release of Windows Server 2012!
As many readers
have noticed, this release is being handled a bit differently than in years past. With previous releases, shortly after the RTM Microsoft provided access to software through our MSDN and TechNet subscriptions. Because this release was built and delivered at a much faster pace than past products, and because we want to ensure that you get the very highest quality product, we made the decision to complete the final validation phases
prior to distributing the release. It is enormously important to all of us here that you have the best possible experience using R2 to build your private and hybrid cloud infrastructure.
We are all incredibly proud of this release and, on behalf of the Windows Server engineering team, we are honored to share this release with you. The opportunity to deliver such a wide range of powerful, interoperable R2 products is a powerful example of the Common Engineering Criteria
that I’ve written about before.
Also of note: The next update to Windows Intune will be available at the time of GA, and we are also on track to deliver System Center 2012 R2.
Thank you to everyone who provided feedback during the preview process – we could not have done it without you!
I can’t wait to share even more on October 18! In the meantime, keep an eye on this blog and
Twitter for updates
.Readying Windows 8.1 for release
We’ve hit an important milestone for Windows and for Microsoft—just 10 months after delivering on a bold, generational change in computing with Windows 8, our team is proud to share that
we have started releasing Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1 to our hardware partners. In many ways, this marks a new day at Microsoft, reflecting a number of rapid release firsts. Thanks, in part, to customer feedback and an unparalleled level of collaboration across product teams, Windows 8.1 is a significant update. We have delivered in a very short time an update to the OS that will bring an even greater unified experience for our customers. As we consider the code we just handed off, and the new intuitive and fluid computing experience it provides – anytime, anywhere, across all devices – we’re confident we made the right bet in
continuing our visionand following through on our commitment to rapid innovation and responsive engineering.
In the past, the release to manufacturing (RTM) milestone traditionally meant that
the software was ready for broader customer use. However, it’s clear that times have changed, with shifts to greater mobility and touch as well as the blurring of work and personal lives. As such, we’ve had to evolve the way we develop and the time in which we deliver to meet customers with the experience they need, want and expect. We’ve had to work closer to our hardware partners than ever before. Reaching this milestone is about optimizing the overall experience for our customers. Our hardware partners are in a position to prepare the wide array of innovative devices our customers can expect later this fall – just in time for the holidays. Over the next several months we’ll see beautiful, powerful devices, from the smallest tablets to the most lightweight notebooks to versatile 2-in-1s, as well as
industry devicesdesigned for business.
While our partners are preparing these exciting new devices we will continue to work closely with them as we put the finishing touches on Windows 8.1 to ensure a quality experience at general availability
on October 18th. This is the date when Windows 8.1 will be broadly available for commercial customers with or without volume licensing agreements, our broad partner ecosystem, subscribers to MSDN and TechNet, as well as consumers.
On behalf of the Windows engineering team, we want to thank you for joining us on this journey. So many people rely on Windows in so many ways, and so we thank you for your participation in previewing the product, for your feedback, for your contributions and for your support. You have helped us make Windows 8.1 great for everyone!
We are super excited to see Windows 8.1 help deliver the next generation of devices and a one-of-a-kind experience that’s in sync with the way you live – at home, at work, and on the go.
Ahora toca esperar un poquito pero no creo que falte mucho tiempo para tenerlo disponible en MSDN!!!
