Several weeks ago, I told you about our upcoming Application Infrastructure Virtual Launch event. Today, I am pleased to announce the availability of the Windows Server AppFabric Release Candidate (RC). To learn more, I recommend tuning into the keynote (and the many other sessions we have going on) today at the App Infrastructure Virtual Launch event!


Here’s a brief overview of the announcements we’re making during the event this morning:


First off, we’re officially launching Windows Server AppFabric, with the immediate availability of the Windows Server AppFabric Release Candidate (RC); the final RTM release will be available for download in June. I would like to invite you to check out the new Windows Server AppFabric MSDN page (also revamped today!) and download the release candidate to get started.


Also today, we’re excited to announce the availability of the first BizTalk Server 2010 Beta; which now seamlessly integrates with Windows Server AppFabric, combining the rich capabilities of BizTalk Server integration and the flexible development experience of .NET to allow customers to easily develop and manage composite applications. To learn more (and download the beta), visit the BizTalk website at www.microsoft.com/biztalk.


Together with the already available Windows Azure AppFabric, Windows Server AppFabric and BizTalk Server 2010 form Microsoft’s application infrastructure technologies, bringing even more value to the Windows Server application server. These offerings benefit developers and IT pros by delivering cloud-like elasticity, high availability, faster performance, seamless connectivity, and simplified composition for the most demanding, enterprise applications.


If you’ve been following this blog, we hope you’ve been enjoying the technical insights that the product team has been providing into AppFabric and the underlying technologies (WCF and WF). To gain a broader context about our technologies, and to gain access to a wealth of technical resources, be sure to visit the virtual launch event. In particular, here are some specific sessions and content that the team would like to highlight for your consideration:



  • Application Server Session

  • Enterprise Integration Session

  • Windows Server AppFabric Product Stand

Following the Virtual Launch Event, there will be a number of local community launch events around the globe where developers and IT Pros can attend, in-person, to learn more about Microsoft’s application infrastructure and talk with others in the .NET community about how these technologies make the lives of developers and IT Pros easier. Be sure to check with your local user group to see if we have an event near you.