Delayed: Windows Server 2008

Businesses have been waiting a long time for Microsoft's much-anticipated Windows Server 2008 are going to have to wait a little longer.

The company has announced that, rather than launch this year, Windows Server 2008 will be delayed until the first or second quarter of 2008.

The news was quietly released by Microsoft on the Windows Server Division blog. "We have been saying [Windows Server 2008] would release to manufacturing [RTM] by the end of the calendar year," Microsoft said, "[but it] is now slated to RTM in the first quarter of calendar year 2008."

The blog post read: "Microsoft's first priority is to deliver a great product to our customers and partners, and while we're very happy with... the overall quality of the latest product builds, we would rather spend a little more time to meet the high quality bar that our customers and partners deserve and expect. It's like a brisket - it just needs a little more time to bake."

Windows Server 2008, previously known as "Longhorn", was originally supposed to be released to manufacturing this year.

Colin Barker writes for ZDNet UK