Its probably not real news to anyone but Windows XP SP2 has been slipping for a while now and so will Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

In last week’s post (Windows Update Services slips into 2005), I reported that the WUS slippage was as a result of using technology from Windows XP SP2, and as can be expected, the first service pack for Windows Server 2003 is closely related to the XP client service pack, with many common features and fixes.

Windows 2003 SP1, like XP SP2, will include multiple security-oriented changes, such as a Security Configuration Wizard that will use the roles-based infrastructure in Windows 2003 to automatically shut down unnecessary ports and services. It will also include any relevant security changes from XP SP2.

Microsoft confirmed that the company will delay Windows Server 2003 SP1 until the first half of 2005 as development can take place in earnest only after XP SP2 is completed.

According to Microsoft:

“We now anticipate that Windows Server 2003 SP1 and Windows Server 2003 for 64-bit Extended Systems will ship in the first half of 2005, whereas we previously estimated the release timing for both to be the end of 2004… As is the case with all Microsoft product schedules, the development cycle is driven by quality, with a focus on the needs of our customers rather than an arbitrary date.”

(Edited from the July 28 2004 WinInfo Daily Update, published by the Windows and .NET magazine network)