Microsoft has delayed the next version of its Microsoft
Virtual Server product until early 2007.
The platform allows users to run multiple versions of Windows on
a single machine, and the next version, a service pack, was due in
the fourth-quarter of this year.
The Service Pack 1 update to Virtual Server 2005 R2 will include
support for Intel's and AMD’s chip virtualisation technologies,
which ease users’ move to virtual working. The updated platform
will also include improved back-up features.
The latest Microsoft product delay comes hot on the heels of the
delays suffered by the general releases of Windows Vista and Office
2007, which will now be released in January 2007, instead of the
end of this year.
Virtual Server 2005 competes against virtualisation market
leader VMware and the open source Xen project, among other
solutions.
The beta version of Virtual Server 2005 SP1 is expected in the
second quarter of this year.