While the general public can now download the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, IT professionals are not left out in the dark today. Microsoft has just launched the Windows Server 8 Beta which can be downloaded at the company"s TechNet web site.
The official Windows Server 8 web page offers up more information about what users can expect from this beta release. There"s a lot of emphasis on cloud computing in this newest release. Microsoft says that Windows Server 8 can handle everything from large public cloud servers to small private cloud server operations.
The company claims that it has added hundreds of new features to Windows Server 8. Microsoft says the new version is designed to offer "businesses and hosting providers a scalable, dynamic, and multitenant-aware cloud infrastructure that securely connects across premises and allows IT to respond to business needs faster and more efficiently."
The final commercial version of Windows Server 8 is speculated to be released by the end of 2012, around the time the final shipping version of the consumer-themed Windows 8 is also scheduled to be released to the public.