Microsoft Windows Server 2012

Windows Server 2012 powers many of the worlds' largest datacenters, enables small businesses around the world, and delivers value to organizations of all sizes in between. Building on this legacy, Windows Server 2012 redefines the category, delivering hundreds of new features and enhancements spanning virtualization, networking, storage, user experience, cloud computing, automation, and more. Simply put, Windows Server 2012 helps you transform your IT operations to reduce costs and deliver a whole new level of business value.

This is quite possibly the most significant release of Windows Server ever.


Through Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate (RC), we've brought our cloud experience to you—from building and operating public clouds to delivering a highly dynamic, available, and cost-effective server platform for the private cloud. It provides solutions to help you cloud optimize your IT so you can fully meet your organization's unique needs.

Discover Windows Server 2012 RC


Beyond Virtualization

Offers a dynamic, multitenant infrastructure to help you scale and secure workloads to build a private cloud. Windows Server 2012 can help you provide:

Complete Virtualization Platform

A fully isolated, multitenant environment features tools that can help guarantee service-level agreements, enable chargebacks through usage-based billing, and support self-service delivery.

Increased Scalability and Performance

A high-density, highly scalable environment can be modified to perform at the optimum level based on your needs.

Connectivity to Cloud Services

A common identity and management framework enables highly secure and reliable cross-premises connectivity.

Power of Many Servers, Simplicity of One

Delivers a highly available and easy-to-manage multi-server platform. Windows Server 2012 can help you provide:

Continuous Availability

New and improved features offer cost-effective, high IT service uptime. They are
designed to endure failures without disrupting services to users.

Management Efficiency

The automation of an even broader set of management tasks and the simplified deployment and virtualization of major workloads offer a path to full lights-out automation.

Cost Efficiency

Taking advantage of commodity storage, networking, and server infrastructure and increased power efficiency offer superior acquisition and operating economics.

Every App, Any Cloud

Offers a broad, scalable, and elastic server platform that gives you the flexibility to build and deploy applications and websites on-premises, in the cloud, or across both. Windows Server 2012 can help you deliver:

Flexibility to Build On-Premises and in the Cloud

Developers can use a consistent set of tools and frameworks enabling them to build symmetrical or hybrid applications across the data center and the cloud.

A Scalable and Elastic Infrastructure

Windows Server 2012 offers new features to increase web site density and efficiency, and provides frameworks, services, and tools to increase scalability and elasticity for multitenant-enabled applications. Windows Server 2012 enables service providers to better build, provision, and manage a hosting environment.

An Open Web and App Development Environment

Windows Server 2012 enables critical applications and enhanced support for open standards, open source applications, and various development languages.

Modern Workstyle, Enabled

Provides users with flexible access to data and applications while simplifying management and maintaining security, control, and compliance. Windows Server 2012 can help you offer:

Access to Applications and Data from Virtually Anywhere on Any Device

Seamless, on-demand access to virtualized work environments is available from virtually anywhere, including branch locations and public connectivity services.

A Full Windows Experience Anywhere

A personalized and rich user experience is enabled from virtually any device while adapting to different network conditions quickly and responsively.

Enhanced Data Security and Compliance

Granular access to data and corporate resources is enabled by central audit and access policies based on strong identity, data classification, and simplified administration for remote access.