Windows Server 2019 on Roadmap

• Windows Server 2019, the next Long-Term Servicing Channel version of Windows Server, is planned for late 2018.
• New features will focus on data-center roles, security, containers, and Azure integration.
• Windows Server 2019 will be required to run future Office versions on Windows Server.
• Remote Desktop Services will be in Windows Server 2019, but a new version of RDS is being separately planned.
• New client licenses will be required by Windows Server 2019, very likely at a higher price.

Windows Server 2019 was announced in March 2018, with preview versions made available via the Windows Insider Program shortly thereafter. The next Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release of Windows Server, Windows Server 2019, is planned for availability in the second half of 2018, concurrently with a new Semi-annual Channel (SAC) version. Updated guidance from Microsoft recommends that LTSC versions of Windows Server be used for infrastructure and data-center roles, while SAC versions will focus on containerized applications and container hosting. (For more on the LTSC and SAC, see the chart “Servicing of Windows Server by Install Mode“.)