If you googled and ended up to this page, no this page is not about RTM’s of Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8. This is about RC’s, as there are other pages about beta’s and beta2’s and there will be about RC2’s. Hold on, RTM’s are coming in the future.

Microsoft has just released the Release Candidates of the upcoming Windows Server 2011 and Windows 8. This means that the products are soon ready to be released for the manufacturing.

For IT pro’s, next season is going to get pretty busy because of the new server and workstation releases but also because the next generation of communication products such as Exchange and Sharepoint are next to be rolled out of factory. Including the System Center product line and the Private Cloud concept, there will be hectic times. This, of course, means that customers must be willing to buy these new products and their new features.

A few customers don’t have a choice not to upgrade to new Windows versions. Those customers gave a damn to update cycles and are still running their businesses with XP’s. But Microsoft strategy for those customers is Windows 7. Yep. Windows 7, not Windows 8. That’s because of better compatibility to legacy apps.

But what about today’s Windows 7 users, will they upgrade to Windows 8? Sure they are getting brand new features such as Windows To Go, Windows on a USB stick, but when it comes decisions making times, business benefits matter. I’d say it’s all about apps. It’s about Metro apps and, of course Windows 8 tablets. If
CIO’s can turn their clients’ (end users) heads from iPads to Windows 8 tablets, there will as many good reasons to start building Metro business apps as there will be Windows 8 tablets in their companies. And if Windows 8 tablets can overtake iPad’s advantage, Windows 8 desktop and laptops installations will also be boosted.

But this is only a speculation. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’m sure that the next season is going to get busy what comes to IT Pro’s.