ÎÑ Windows Server 2008 R2, êîòîðóþ èíîãäà íàçûâàþò Windows Server 7, ñëåäóåò ðàññìàòðèâàòü â êà÷åñòâå ñåðâåðíîãî êîìïàíüîíà ãîòîâÿùåéñÿ êëèåíòñêîé îïåðàöèîííîé ñèñòåìû Windows 7. Îäíàêî íåò ïîäòâåðæäåíèé, áóäóò ëè îíè ïðîäàâàòüñÿ îäíîâðåìåííî.
 Windows Server 2008 R2, òåñíî èíòåãðèðîâàííîé ñ Windows 7 íà óðîâíå ñåðâåðíûõ âîçìîæíîñòåé, ðåàëèçîâàí ôóíêöèîíàë ïðÿìîãî äîñòóïà DirectAccess: ïîëüçîâàòåëè Windows 7 ìîãóò íàïðÿìóþ ïîäñîåäèíÿòüñÿ ê ðåñóðñàì âíóòðåííåé êîðïîðàòèâíîé ñåòè áåç íåîáõîäèìîñòè VPN-ïîäêëþ÷åíèÿ. Ïðè ýòîì äîëæíà áûòü âêëþ÷åíà ïîääåðæêà IPv6 è IPSec. Ñðåäè èíûõ âîçìîæíîñòåé: êåøèðîâàíèå äàííûõ â ñåòè óäàëåííûõ îôèñîâ ïîñðåäñòâîì Branch Caching; ðàñïðåäåëåííàÿ ôàéëîâàÿ ñèñòåìà Distributed File System (DFS) â ðåæèìå «òîëüêî äëÿ ÷òåíèÿ»; óïðàâëåíèå ïèòàíèåì ÷åðåç ãðóïïîâûå ïîëèòèêè; BitLocker To Go, ôóíêöèÿ øèôðîâàíèÿ USB-äèñêîâ; äîñòóï ê Offline Folders äëÿ ìîáèëüíûõ ïîëüçîâàòåëåé; Live Migration, ìèãðàöèÿ âèðòóàëüíûõ ìàøèí áåç èõ îñòàíîâêè; Remote Desktop Services (RDS), â ïðîøëîì Terminal Services, êîìïîíåíò Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) äëÿ âíåøíåãî äîñòóïà ê çàïóùåííûì íà intranet-óðîâíå ïðèëîæåíèÿì.