Rackspace Launches Hosting Services and Solutions for Windows Server 2008

Rackspace Launches Hosting Services and Solutions for Windows Server 2008


Rackspace Offers New Operating System to Hosting Customers as Part of the Official Windows Server 2008 Launch

LONDON – Rackspace, a leading provider of hosted IT services, today announced it will begin offering Windows Server 2008 with an enhanced set of flexibility, security, reliability and management features suited for customers’ IT hosting needs. As Microsoft’s 2007 “Hosting Provider of the Year”, Rackspace has worked with Microsoft on the launch for more than a year and will be introducing Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise and Web editions to its comprehensive product portfolio in conjunction with Microsoft’s worldwide launch.

Windows Server 2008 is designed to provide customers the ability to deliver rich web-based experiences efficiently and effectively, with improved administration and diagnostics, development and application tools, and lower infrastructure costs. The new, flexible Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 provides full customisation of web servers to configure only the server roles and modules needed, creating a more secure and streamlined Web platform for customers.

“To support our customers' demanding web-centric business activity, it is essential that operating systems offer them flexibility, security and the right management tools - it is incredibly positive to see that Microsoft has made significant progress in this area," said Doug Loewe, MD Rackspace, EMEA. "We’ve been working with Microsoft for some time now, boasting over 100 Rackspace Microsoft Certified Professionals within our ranks, and plan to focus all of our attention on providing our customers with the technical help they need when choosing to migrate to the latest Windows Server 2008 solution. Fanatical Support is right at the heart of everything we do at Rackspace, and that includes our willingness to offer support to our customers with upgrading their infrastructure to accommodate the architecture which best suits them, helping them to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption to the heart of their businesses.”

Windows Server 2008 also includes the enhanced Windows PowerShell to automate common administration tasks for server roles with command-line shell and scripting language to more easily control system administration and to accelerate automation. The hardened operating system and security innovations include firewall improvements, policy based networking and auditing advances to provide improved protection for customers’ data.

Rackspace recently completed a successful beta test of Windows Server 2008 with positive customer feedback. After successful testing of the new server’s performance and stability, Rackspace is now making the new Windows operating system available to customers.

“Windows Server 2008 and IIS 7.0 are marked improvements on administration, remote access options and increased security—all very important to our business. We’re already looking into further migrations to Server 2008 for the development of a high availability trading platform as well as our existing financial and custom web applications,” said Aaron Wislang, director, Eretz Enterprises. “With such an advanced array of considerations and features, we would have been lost without Rackspace’s Fanatical Support throughout the beta process. They have once again surpassed our expectations, and we will be recommending this new Rackspace offering to our current and future clients.”

"Our customers tell us that they are looking to get more out of their technology infrastructures as traditional IT migrates to the web,” said Bill Laing, general manager of the Windows Server Division, Microsoft Corp. “Windows Server 2008 paired with Rackspace’s hosting expertise and support provides customers an excellent solution for creating, optimising, hosting and managing next generation web applications.”

For more information on Windows Server 2008 from Rackspace, please visit
http://www.rackspace.co.uk/windows2008