Top 10 Reasons to Upgrade to Server 2008

1. Server Consolidation and Resource Optimisation-Hyper-V

• Built-in Hypervisor 
• R2 has Live Migration capability
• 1/3 the cost of some virtualisation solutions

2. Flexible Application Access for Remote Users-TS RemoteApp

• Access application windows, not desktops 
• Single sign-on, Web portal, improved printing

3. Modular, Minimal Installation-Server Core

• Reduced footprint installation option
• Reduced patching (-30%)

4. Delivering Rich Web Content and Applications-IIS 7.0

• Improved management, delegation, deployment, configuration
• Better performance, including PHP, Ruby
  

5. Improved Network Performance and Control-New TCP/IP Stack

• Faster network backups and file copies, great for Branch
• Vista and Windows 7 performance up to 4x faster over WAN

6. Preventing Unhealthy Devices from Connecting to the Network-NAP

• Use server infrastructure to check health of clients before they get on the network
• Massively reduce threat of viruses by only allowing compliant clients

7. Connecting Heterogeneous Environments

• Windows Server 2008 and Active Directory contain everything you need to integrate your Windows and Unix/Linux environments

8. Easing Administration, Deployment, Management and Automation-Server Manager and Powershell

• New set of extensible management tools
• Powershell scripting environment allows you to automate nearly any task
• Reduced costs in deployment of servers due to reduced deployment time

9. Branch Office Enhancements

• Read-only domain controller for security, replacement
• Improved DFS for file distribution, backup
• Improved networking
• Bitlocker drive encryption for protecting data
• Server Core for reduced maintenance
• Cost savings by simplifying branch office management using Server Core, RODC, Terminal Services, Centralised administration

10. Supporting Business Continuity for Demanding Workloads-High Availability Features

• New cluster validation makes setup easier and more reliable
• Greater range of supported hardware
• New HA features, like multi-site clustering, flexible quorum