As I travel around and speak to partners and customers, I have found there is a real need to have a business discussion around the value of upgrading to what I call the stack. So what is the stack? Well that is the Server and Client. As many of you are aware there is a tight integration on the Microsoft Platform, so much in fact that Server 2008 and VISTA are on the same kernel. There are some key business value oriented benefits that are worth discussing with your customers, as to why it makes sense to have both the Client and Server on the same platform. With Server 2008, and subsequently Small Business Server 2008 and the new Essential Business Server 2008 since they are based on the Standard edition of Server 2008; significant improvements around Virtualization, Networking Performance, Bandwidth Management, and Terminal Services are being realized as key customer discussions. To maximize these benefits Windows VISTA as the client needs to be in place.
Here are the links for more information:
Partner Resources
Server 2008 Product Overview
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/overview.aspx
Server 2008 Licensing Overview
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/licensing-overview.aspx
Server 2008 FAQ
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/faq.aspx
Competitive Sales Assistance
https://partner.microsoft.com/US/productssolutions/securityproducts/40018122
Windows VISTA Small Business Assurance
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/assurance/
Windows VISTA Compatibility
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/
Application and Compatibility and User Account Control
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/aa905066.aspx
VISTA SP1 Deployment Guide
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc766219.aspx
Incentives
http://www.microsoftincentives.com
MS Gear-up
http://www.ms-gearup.com
Solution Accelerators
https://partner.microsoft.com/global/salesmarketingsection/40073091#1
https://partner.microsoft.com/40048854?msp_id=solutionaccelerators