The Planet Adds Microsoft's Newest Operating System to Portfolio.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Helps Organizations Reduce Operating Costs, Increase Efficiencies

HOUSTON -- The Planet, the global leader in IT hosting, today expanded its portfolio of products and services with the addition of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2. The new operating system is available to all dedicated hosting customers across the company's eight SAS 70 Type II-audited data centers.

Windows Server 2008 R2 enables dynamic provisioning and management of virtual workloads with the much-anticipated update to Microsoft's Hyper-V[TM]. With its Live Migration-enabling technology, moves between physical hosts now happen in milliseconds. As the first Windows Server operating system with a true 64-bit architecture, R2 also offers powerful hardware and scaling features.

"Our customers around the world are always looking for ways to do more with less, and Windows Server 2008 R2 is optimized to meet those demands," said Todd Mitchell, general manager for dedicated hosting and global services at The Planet. "As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, we stay in lockstep with new technologies from Microsoft to give our customers more ways to reduce operating costs and increase efficiencies."

About Windows Server 2008 R2

The latest operating system from Microsoft includes a number of updates that enhance server performance and management control:

Powerful hardware and scaling features: R2 is the first Windows Server operating system to move solely to a 64-bit architecture, and CPU-specific enhancements enable customers to run up to 256 logical processors.

Updated Hyper-V augments virtual workload management: Hyper-V enables Live Migration, a new feature for R2 that moves virtual machines in a matter of milliseconds.

Ubiquitous remote access: DirectAccess allows remote users to seamlessly access corporate resources without a VPN connection or client software.

Strongest Windows application platform to date: R2 includes the new Internet Information Services 7 (IIS 7.0), which helps applications run faster while using fewer system resources.

For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.theplanet.com/server-software/.

About The Planet

The Planet is the leading provider of On Demand IT Infrastructure solutions, hosting more than 20,000 small- and medium-size businesses and 18.5 million Web sites worldwide. Customers have the power to choose from the broadest range of hosting solutions in the industry, from dedicated servers, Managed Dedicated Servers, Northstar Managed Hosting[TM] and data center colocation, all backed by 24x7x365 support. With the best choice of servers, software tools and world-class service, backed by state-of-the-art data centers and an enterprise-class network, The Planet turns IT into a powerful competitive advantage that enables customers to grow their businesses. For additional information, visit http://www.theplanet.com.