This post has been republished via RSS; it originally appeared at: New blog articles in Microsoft Community Hub.
In case you missed it: On July 27 we celebrated the incredible 30-year anniversary of Windows Server (counting from Windows Server NT 3.1 in 1993). But what's really worth celebrating is all of you -- the IT managers and system admins who have worked with Windows Server and helped us make it better over the last three decades. We love the enthusiasm of the Windows Server community and we are so honored to have been on this ride along with you. Thank you.
Since our initial post from @Jeff Woolsey went live, we've had so many people add their nostalgic pics of well-worn Windows Server NT books and decades-old swag. In addition to Jeff's extensive history and video on Windows Server, @Sonia Cuff put together this fun video compilation and post. Be sure to check them out!
Windows Server NT came along when Bill Gates was CEO, when the Internet was in its early days, and just few people owned what would later become today's smartphones. In terms of technology, at this time, a 2-processor computer was huge, a 4-processor computer was a “super computer.” Windows Server NT 3.1 supported both 2- and 4- processor systems.
What I find even more interesting is the way that, with the growth and steep innovation curve of Windows Server and other business technologies, the IT team has grown in importance and come out of the shadows. I found this old Windows Server 2003 commercial that illustrates how this dynamic was becoming real at the turn of the last century:
For those of you working in corporate settings or other large organizations, do you feel you're finally starting to get the credit you deserve?
With that, I'd like to close the book on one more Windows Server milestone and amplify a couple of the more recent developments:
As we take a moment to look back on this 30th birthday of Windows Server, we have plenty of new and improved features coming that will make innovation easier, and can free up time for more strategic work. Here are a few examples we've recently announced:
- Hotpatch – Until recently, Hotpatching had only been available on Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition in Server Core. As of this July, we’ve rolled it out for Desktop Experience. Hotpatch updates simplify securing your Windows Server devices without needing a reboot. Early adopters have reported being able to update their VMs within a couple of days as compared to previously taking weeks.
- Windows Admin Center version 2306 – This new version became generally available in June. Among the improvements in the new version is Windows Defender application control (WDAC) support. Read about this and other new features the WAC team created thanks to your input.
- New ways to get Extended Security Updates. Following the standard lifecycle policy, Windows Server 2012 / 2012 R2 is reaching the end of extended support in October. At Inspire, we announced a new way to get Extended Security Updates (ESUs) should you need them.
Again, a big THANK YOU to the Windows Server community!