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Previous restrictions meant users could only transfer virtual servers between machines once every 90 days, however, the new rules will allow Microsoft customers to migrate virtual machines between servers within a server farm as often as necessary without paying additional licensing fees. A move which Microsoft believes will speed adoption of the technology.

"Virtualisation is moving out of the early adoption stage, and into the stage when implementation will take off," Neil Sanderson, product manager

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for virtualisation and management at Microsoft tells PC Pro. "Despite all the talk, real implementation of virtualisation is very small compared to what we think it's going to be and so customers are looking to see where it will help them.

"These technology shifts sometimes get delayed because of issues like licensing, like support, like interoperability and a whole series of other things that need to be addressed. We've been working on these issues a lot over the last few years so that they fit the way customers tell us they are using virtualisation, and to encourage the take up of virtualisation."

The change effects 41 server titles, including the enterprise version of SQL Server 2008, the standard and enterprise versions of Exchange Server 2007, Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Microsoft System Center products.

The company is also planning to offer support for users that run its software within rival virtualisation packages, including those of VMware, Citrix and Novell. Though these companies must first pass through its Server Virtualization Validation Program.