
The software is currently known only by its "Longhorn" codename. The same codename was also used for the Windows Vista desktop operating system when it was under development.
The name is expected to be officially unveiled later this week at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference in Los Angeles. The company mistakenly disclosed the name at a website for the event. A website for Microsoft France last week posted the Windows Server 2008 logo.
Microsoft has since removed all references to the new brand.
The name hardly comes at a surprise. Windows Server 2008 replaces the "2003" branded product. The software is due out in the second half of this year.
Microsoft didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.