Microsoft has released a second beta of Windows Server 2003. This latest version (R2), has additional features including branch and remote server management, access management and much more. There have been improvements in UNIX interoperability, which will allow Windows and Unix computers to pass files back and forth despite their disparate naming functions. It is now also possible to synchronize password control across to Unix systems and provide Unix-based users with secure, single-logon access to Windows resources.

There have also been improvements in storage management, with an embedded storage manager for storage-area networks (SANs) that eases provisioning storage on one or more storage subsystems. Additionally, Microsoft has updated its SharePoint services, and has made many enhancements to Active Directory Federation Services.