We all know that the next version of SBS will be based on Windows Server 2008 and that it will be x64 based.  Many of the benefits of SBS Cougar will come from Windows Server 2008 (Longhorn), so if you want to be with the leading pack on SBS, you need to be up there with Windows Server 2008.

ComputerWorld recently noted that the "long march" to the release of this product was signaled by the release of the latest RC candidate.  It is worth getting this to start to understand Windows Server 2008.  There are a host of features in the standard edition that should make life easier.  For more info, access to code, virtual PCs etc on Server 2008, have a look at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008.  Also, since it will be possible to run virtual machines on this system (again), you can take advantage of the amazing Terminal Server features with your clients by using TS inside a VM too.

From ComputerWorld - Microsoft Begins Buildup to Longhorn's Release

The long march to the release of Windows Server 2008, a.k.a. Longhorn Server, continued last week, as Microsoft Corp. made the first “release candidate” version available for downloading from its Web site.

Several IT managers who are testing the beta predecessors of Release Candidate 0 said they’re largely impressed, though not without some reservations.
Robbie Roberts, IT manager at Windrush Frozen Foods Ltd. in Oxford, England, has been using the upcoming operating system in live applications for two months. “We were involved in the Windows Server 2003 rollout, and we had tons of [bug] problems,” he said. “We absolutely expected tons of problems with Windows Server 2008. But — hand on heart — we’ve had none.”
IT officials in Georgia’s Fulton County, where Atlanta is located, said that Windows Server 2008 has made it easier to tighten security through steps such as locking down unused ports and preventing insecure systems from connecting to the county’s network.
But, they added, there is still a lack of support for key third-party applications. As a result, the county doesn’t expect to move most of those applications to the new operating system until a year from now, said Jay Terrell, deputy director of IT. “We’re not rushing to put anything into production that would hurt our users,” he noted.

It is nice to see the quality bar is high, but once again we need application vendors to support the platform before 3rd party apps will work - go and ask your favourite vendors now to let them know you want support on SBS Cougar and Windows Server 2008.

ttfn

David