With the release of the third beta of Windows Server 2008 (formerly code-named Longhorn Server), Microsoft also released the latest Windows Server logo program. The updated logo program should help customers identify the best server applications for Windows Server 2008, and it should also encourage software developers to submit applications for certification because they will find it easier for an application to pass certification testing on the first attempt. But customers might still want to be wary of products bearing the "Works With" logo designation, because this logo designation still allows developers to "self-certify" their application.

Windows Server 2008 Logo

The Windows Server 2008 logo program for software serves several purposes. It helps customers identify applications that are more compatible, reliable, and secure when running on Windows Server. It helps Microsoft promote a large number of applications that run on Windows Server. And it helps developers to get a certified application promoted by Microsoft, such as in lists of certified applications on Microsoft's Web site. The program features two designations:

"Works with Windows Server 2008" requires basic compatibility with Windows Server 2008, but allows the developer to self-test and self-certify compliance. This replaces the "Supported by Windows" logo level of Windows Server 2003.

"Certified for Windows Server 2008" carries over from the previous version of the logo program and requires a higher level of stability and reliability, as well as the ability to work with or exploit certain built-in capabilities of Windows Server. For example, an application must work with Windows File Protection (WFP), a service that protects critical OS files, automatically restoring them from a protected copy on the machine's hard disk if they are ever replaced or damaged. Although this feature has been in Windows for some time, this is the first version of the logo that requires that an application work with WFP.

The basic problem of having two logos remains: customers may have difficulty determining the differences between them. Technically, both levels of certification use the same specification—but only the certified level goes the extra step of ensuring that the application actually meets the requirements.

Improved Testing Tools

Microsoft estimates that changes to the logo program should reduce the cost of certification by 50%, primarily because developers can run their applications through a set of tests that more closely resemble the actual tests that third-party certification companies use, which should eliminate the need to submit applications multiple times in order to pass the test. Microsoft estimates that the improved tools should allow developers to gauge compliance readiness in a matter of hours instead of days.

A second authorized test agency, Wipro, will join incumbent VeriTest to provide better geographic coverage for testing services.

Availability and Resources

The Windows Server 2008 logo program specification and tools are available at www.innovateonwindowsserver.com/learnbuild.aspx.

A catalog of Windows Server certified programs is available at www.windowsservercatalog.com.

For background on the Vista Logo Program, see "Vista Advisor and Logos Help Users Upgrade" on page 11 of the July 2006 Update.