Learn about the latest Windows Server features and capabilities—directly from the Microsoft product team. Windows Server 2008 had Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, and Web versions. For companies needing more frequent updates and innovations, Microsoft introduced another purchasing model, the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC), in 2017. It includes specifics for the different Windows Server editions up to the latest release of Windows Server 2019. Specialized Editions of Windows Server In 2012, Microsoft added new functionality to Windows Server 2012 to become competitive in the cloud, and even marketed the new version as “Cloud OS.”. Standard . Expand all | … This bare-bones version of the software, without the standard graphical user interface (GUI), provided command-line access to the server. Core-based. This guide provides information for network administrators looking to understand the difference between Windows Server versions. Microsoft took another three years to develop significant updates to Windows Server, which were released as Windows Server 2008. The server version supported computers running Windows 95 and provided some improvements to make the system more stable. Not all companies need or want to wait ten years to upgrade. When a new version comes out, companies with the prior version of Windows Server don’t have to automatically upgrade. In total, Windows Server 2012 had four editions: Essentials, Foundation, Standard, and Datacenter. This release focused on enhanced security, especially user authentication. Elevate your security posture by protecting the datacenter, starting with the operating system. Learn about the latest features in Windows Server 2019 and how you can modernize by going hybrid with Windows Admin Center. Highly virtualized datacenters and cloud environments. Another introduction with this release was Network Controller. View the new hybrid, security, infrastructure, and application platform features of Windows Server 2019 as compared to previous versions. The updates also added the ability to manage operating systems for server clusters and provided integration for public-key encryption services. It’s only free to start. In 2005, Windows Server 2003 R2 came out as a free upgrade to the Windows Server 2003 edition. The main features included: The release also included specialized versions for different server environments, with Advanced Server and Datacenter Server editions as well as the standard Windows Server operating system. A different version of the Windows Server software was available with Server Core. Mobile devices include smartphones, handheld tablet computers and personal digital assistants. Register to vote, apply for an absentee ballot, receive reminders, and get the info you need to vote with confidence. What is a Windows Server version? Watch demos and discover best practices to modernize your workloads, whether you’re running Windows Server on-premises, in a hybrid environment, or on Azure. This brought the system to a 64-bit environment.