The company says that it is now offering four editions of the operating system - Windows Web Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 Standard, Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and Windows Server 2008 Unauthenticated - available immediately on all its servers, including Windows Server 2008 Web Edition, which customers can access for free on single-processor servers.

The Planet says that Windows Server 2008 features enhanced capabilities and powerful tools that build on the strengths of its predecessors. The new operating system, which was launched along with Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 in February, delivers enhanced Web tools, virtualization technologies and security features that, backed by The Planet's network and six data centers, provide a secure and scalable hosted IT environment.

"As more companies move their complex IT infrastructures to hosted environments, they're looking for the broadest portfolio of offerings to support their strategic business requirements," says Urvish Vashi, director of product management for The Planet. "Windows Server-based solutions are one of the fastest-growing operating system segments in our business, and we expect this growth to accelerate by offering the added security, scalability and unique features that Windows Server 2008 and IIS 7.0 provide."

The Planet joins a growing list of hosting providers that have been deploying the new operating system since its launch, including Rackspace, Hostway and INetU Managed Hosting, to name a few.

Last week, The Planet, along with NTT America, announced that it will give its more than 22,000 customers access to IPv6, the next generation Internet protocol.