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Microsoft details Windows 7 SP1 plans, public beta end of July
Microsoft revealed its plans for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 today at its annual Tech-Ed conference. Bob Muglia, President of Microsoft's server and tools business took to the stage to kick start Tech-Ed 2010 in New Orleans. Muglia detailed plans for Windows 7 SP1 which will include the usual hotfix patches and new virtualization tools in SP1 will help Windows Server 2008 R2 users prepare for cloud computing. SP1 will include remote FX which provides rich 3-D graphical experience for remote users. The service pack also will include a series of incremental updates, previously released on Windows Update for both Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.
RemoteFX is a new enhancement to RDP's graphical remoting capabilities. The idea behind RemoteFX is to allow for a full remote experiencing including multiple displays, Aero and multimedia streaming to all types of client devices including low cost thin clients. RemoteFX achieves this by using a technique known as host-based rendering. This technique allows for the final screen image to be rendered locally on the remote PC after being compressed and sent down to that remote host. The enhancements are expected to greatly improve video streaming across remote sessions which is currently one of the major drawbacks of virtualized computing.
Microsoft senior director Gavriella Schuster announced the beta in a blog posting on Monday. "SP1 will simply be the combination of updates already available through Windows Update and additional hotfixes based on feedback by our customers and partners. In other words, customers can feel confident about deploying Windows 7 now!"
Microsoft is planning to release a public beta of Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 by the end of July, no exact dates were given.
