In-Depth
Longhorn Officially Dubbed?
Speculation about the final name ramps up.
It's official. Well, sort of. Windows enthusiast site ActiveWin.com reported that an unnamed Microsoft official has confirmed the final name for "Longhorn" server.
And the winner is (drum roll, please)… Windows Server 2007.
"In addition, development has begun on the next series of MSCE certification tests geared for Windows Server 2007," the site reported.
Reached for comment, a Microsoft spokesperson "strongly" cautioned against reporting an official name until Microsoft actually announces it. However, the spokesperson also pointed to a blog entry from July 27, 2005—the date that Longhorn Beta 1 was released—for further reference. That posting stated the company's intention to name the final release "Windows Server 200x," as it has with pervious recent releases.
The 2005 blog entry also warned that schedules could slide again and implied that, at that juncture, it might be named something else—presumably Windows Server 2008. Of course, the company could also choose to follow the inscrutable naming convention it debuted with the latest version of its desktop productivity applications suite—2007 Office System. That could conceivably yield the name "2008 Windows Server."
About the Author
Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.