There are a few things that nearly everyone is looking forward to in 2005: Longhorn and Office 12 for example, which will both enter beta testing sometime in 2005. But in the shadows of these highly-anticipated products, there are many more to come.

Bink has compiled a list of what we can expect from Microsoft in the upcoming year, and it sure as hell looks like it's going to be an exciting year.

• Windows 2003 Server R2
• Biztalk 2004 64
• Commerce Server 2002 64
• Windows XP x64
• Windows Server 2003 x64
• SQL 2000 Service Pack 4
• Virtual Server 2005 Service Pack 1
• Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1
• Encarta 2006
• Money 2006
• Longhorn Beta (client)
• Longhorn Server Beta 1
• Exchange 2003 Service Pack 2 (includes some elements of Edge Services like Sender ID)
• Monthly IMF updates for Exchange 2003
• MSN Messenger 7
• MSN Search web
• MSN Search desktop
• Corperate Error Reporting 3.0
• Automated Deployment Services 2.0
• ISA 2004 Service Pack 1
• Office 12 Beta
• Small Business Server 2003 Service Pack 1
• Windows Update Services (SUS 2.0)
• Sharepoint Portal Server 2005
• ISA 2004 Enterprise Edition
• Microsoft Data Protection Server (DPS)
• Windows PE 2005
• Windows 2000 Security Rollup Pack 2
• ADAM 2.0
• System Center 2005 (SMS 2003 sp1, MOM 2005, SQL reporting)
• Visual Studio 2005
• Visual Studio 2005 express editions (C#, VB, ...)
• Visual Studio 2005 Team System
• SQL Server 2005
• SQL Server 2005 Express Edition
• AntiVirus and AntiSpyware 2005
• Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition
• Hot Patch Technology Support (part of common engineering initiative)
• .NET Framework 2.0
• Commerce Server 2006 beta
• ASP.net 2.0
• Network Access Protection (NAP)
• Windows Update (support for more MS products)
• "Instanbul" Windows Messenger (Voip client for LCS 2005)
• Xbox 2 US release
• Fingeprint reader in Intellimouse Explorer
• Windows Mobile 2005 (3G [UMTS] , Wifi, VGA)
• ActiveSync 4.0
• Live Meeting 2005
• Office for Small Business Management
• Office 2003 sp2
• CRM 2005
• Mappoint 2005/2006
• Windows XP Reduced Media Edition
• Digital Image Suite 11

News source: Bink.nu