Microsoft: no more versions of Windows Home Server
updated 09:30 pm EDT, Thu July 5, 2012
Windows Server 2012 Essentials named successor
Microsoft's home-server operating system will not be refreshed after its current version. This according to the company's Windows Server 2012 Essentials frequently asked questions document (pdf), which confirmed that the company was folding the feature into other Windows software. The last version of Windows Home Server was released in March of 2011.
Going forward, Windows Home Server's support for DLNA-compliant devices and media streaming will be built into Windows Server 2012 Essentials. The product will remain available as an OEM-embedded product until December 2025, and it will be available in all other current channels until December 2013.
The software's many sharing capabilities endeared it to a niche market, who stuck with the product even through controversial decisions to drop promised features. Windows Home Server enthusiasts will now have to choose between Windows 8 Client and Windows Server 2012 Essentials.
