Since the announcement of Windows Home Server RTM (Release to Manufacturing) in July, the team and our hardware partners have been aggressively gearing up for the final retail availability of solutions powered by Windows Home Server, slated for this Fall and in time for the holidays. We’ve received a substantial amount of positive feedback from the media, analysts, reviewers and our 100,000+ beta customer  community who have been using the software.  Also, as anticipated, the Windows Home Server system builder version is currently available through the system builder channel in many countries, and expected in U.S. in early September.

We’ve identified a number of ways to make the product even better since the initial release, As with most Microsoft products, updates to Windows Home Server will be automatically available throughout the lifecycle of the product and the WHS team is working on an update that will be available in September.  These updates will enhance the usability and improve the out-of-the-box experience of home server solutions.   Additional updates will occur over the lifespan of the product as we receive feedback from the user community, our hardware partners and software partners. Microsoft’s current plan is to make this update available as part of the monthly Windows Updates process in September.

HP has decided to include these first software updates in their MediaSmart Server. Both HP and Microsoft believe that these updates are in the best interest of potential customers and will insure the best out-of-the-box experience. All of our Windows Home Server partners and customers will automatically receive the update once posted to Windows Update.

Windows Home Server has come a long way from its inception, and we’re excited to deliver an integrated product that delivers on its full range of features, and is easy for everyone in the family to use and enjoy.

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