SBS 2003 R2 Availability post SBS 2008 Launch

Our Microsoft colleagues based at corporate in Seattle have recently advised us around the availability of Windows Small Business Server 2003 R2 post the launch of Windows Small Business Server 2008. They have advised that in Volume Licensing (VL), SBS 2003 R2 media will be available until the version following 2008 is released, however SBS 2003 R2  license SKUs for sale will all go away when 2008 hits the price list (October).  They tell us that customers have downgrade rights in VL, so there’s no need to keep versions previous to SBS 2003 R2 license SKUs on the price list.

For Fully Packaged Product's (FPP), SBS 2003 R2 SKUs will discontinue 60 days after software has RTM’d. (For English until October, for localized languages it may be available until early calendar year 2009).

Hope you find this information useful.