Simplified Direct Access. Direct Access is arguably one of the coolest features of Windows Server 2008...potentially. It is like VPN on steroids and lets remote, roaming PCs stay persistently, and virtually connected to the network through firewalls from just about anywhere with an Internet connection. Unfortunately, it has never really caught on and lived up to that potential--in part because it is too complicated for most organizations to properly configure and maintain. With Windows Server 8, Microsoft promises to make Direct Access as simple as flipping a switch.

There are tons more tweaks and changes coming in Windows Server 8. There are improvements to networking performance and management, improvements to Active Directory, improvements to , improvements to virtualization, and more.

As Windows Server 8 moves from this early stage of development, through beta, to official release, we will explore the updates and new features in much more detail.