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Windows .NET server 2003 is to change its name to Windows Server 2003.

"The product name Microsoft(R) Windows(R) .NET Server 2003 will be changing to Windows Server 2003. Microsoft is making an effort to clarify the naming and branding strategy for .NET. As support for Web services becomes intrinsic across our entire product line, we are moving toward a consistent naming and branding strategy to better enable partners to affiliate with this strategy and customers to identify .NET-enabled products. The first product to be affected is Windows .NET Server 2003. The new name for the next version of Windows is Windows Server 2003. This information still needs to be treated confidential under NDA and will not be public until Thursday, January 9, 2003. This will not affect our time frame for launch, which is still planned for April 2003."

However, expect to see "Windows .Net Connected!" stickers popping up all over the place: when asked if this was a move away from .Net on Microsoft's part, the reply was "Quite the opposite -- Windows Server 2003 is a major step forward in our effort to provide a highly connected, productive, and dependable infrastructure with excellent economic value for our customers...." Which if you don't speak marketting drone means YES.

More here (top story).

system adminitrators have to be busy upgrading their servers, as long as Microsoft is present. until they switch to Unix or Linux.