Reason #9 - IIS Management. IIS version 7.0 is a big boon for web site administrators. With this upgrade comes the elimination of the Metabase in favor of an Apache-like file-based configuration mechanism. This movement to file-based management makes the administration of IIS significantly easier, allows for the copying of configuration files between servers, and enables multiple servers to all lean on the same configuration file. This means you can update one file and every IIS server sees the change at once.

Reason #10 - Installation. Over the years the Windows Server installation has gotten incrementally more complex, with many questions being asked of the user during the initial installation routine. This was great, because at the conclusion of the installation you would have a fairly complete server ready for applications. It was bad because it meant sitting in front of that installation until the bitter end. With Server 2008, the installation goes very far in the other direction. Every question needed as part of the installation occurs at the very beginning, and the number of questions are few. Even if you don't use any of Microsoft's rapid deployment options like the Windows Automated Installation Kit or Windows Deployment Services, you'll find that this version of Server is easier than any other to simply get installed.

Reason #11 - Fewer instances to upgrade. The first 10 of these reasons are feature-related. But as we all know, an upgrade has a lot more to do with the business reasons to do it rather than any set of features. Reason #11 as to why you'll upgrade to Server 2008 faster than any desktop upgrade is the simple reason that there are often fewer server instances than desktop or laptop instances. Adding to this are the relatively few 3rd party applications installed on your servers in comparison to your desktops. Simple upgrades with few chances for application conflicts like Domain Controllers, file servers, and infrastructure servers are all excellent candidates for an early adoption. Start with the easy upgrades to get a few instances in your environment.

Reason #12 - Little Hardware Upgrades Needed. The last reason here is an important one, and one that I hear all the time when talking about Vista upgrades. Vista's hardware requirements are so big that an upgrade will likely involve an expensive desktop hardware upgrade as well. Unlike Vista, Server 2008's hardware requirements aren't all that much different from Server 2003. That means that your existing set of server hardware - which is usually more well-appointed than desktops anyway - will likely handle the upgrade with few problems and no need for extra RAM or more processors.

So, there you have it - twelve reasons why you'll quickly upgrade your servers to 2008. Admittedly there are some detractors to an upgrade as well. But we're only a few days after the start of the multiple month-long launch parties. We've been waiting for this release for five years, and Microsoft has dedicated a lot of effort to making this server release a success. So let's toast a glass to its success and your success in getting it incorporated into your network.

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