"I've been on the beta version and I've been barely been able to get it to work," he said. "We may move to Vista three to four years from now as there has to be a strong business case for changing operating systems."

Microsoft Australia's platform strategy manager Sarah Bond said this win is indicative of SQL Server's tight integration with the Windows platform.

"Customers have this database and application platform and they can deliver business value with business intelligence functionality built into the system," Bond said.

With about 30 percent of SQL Server customers developing their applications in-house, Bond said what Microsoft delivers out of the box can be extended without adding people or needing additional training.

On the upgrade path for Windows Server, Bond said there is an ongoing program for customers to test the migration from 2003 Server to make sure when it is available the migration path is as seamless as possible.