Windows Roadmap Overview

The next Windows client version will be named Windows 7 and is promised for delivery within three years of the release of Windows Vista, making delivery possible in late 2009 or early 2010. However, to meet the holiday sales period in 2009, it could ship earlier. A second service pack for Windows Vista is anticipated in 2009. No further service packs are likely for Windows XP before it leaves Mainstream support in Apr. 2009; paid support will still be available for Windows XP through Apr. 2014.

The next release of Internet Explorer (IE) will be IE 8, which is currently in beta. The latest this release would ship is with Windows 7. However, increased competition in the browser market could move the release of this update forward.

The next version of Windows Server 2008 will be an R2 version, which is scheduled for 2010. Although Windows teams are working simultaneously on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, this should not be interpreted as meaning they will ship simultaneously. A service pack for Windows Server 2008 will likely be available in 2009 and will be labeled SP2 (because Windows Server 2008 was based on Windows Vista SP1). Windows Server 2003 R2, the current version of Windows Server 2003, will likely get an additional service pack, which could arrive simultaneously with a second service pack for Windows Server 2008, but it is more likely to ship after Windows Server 2008 R2, to add compatibility with any changes made in that release that affect server interoperability.