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List of Microsoft codenames
List of Microsoft codenames
List of Microsoft codenames
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Microsoft codenames are given by Microsoft to products it has in development before these products are given the names by which they appear on store shelves. Many of these products (new versions of Windows in particular) are of major significance to the IT community, and so the terms are often widely used in discussions before the official release. Microsoft usually does not announce a final name until shortly before the product is publicly available. It is not uncommon for Microsoft to reuse codenames a few years after a previous usage has been abandoned.

There has been some suggestion that Microsoft may move towards defining the real name of their upcoming products earlier in the product development lifecycle to avoid needing product codenames.[1]

Operating systems

[edit]

Windows 3.x and 9x

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Notes Ref
Janus — Windows & MS-DOS 5 Combined bundle of Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS 5. Janus is a Roman god usually depicted with two faces, here symbolizing the previously separate Windows and MS-DOS products. [2]
Jastro — Windows & MS-DOS 6 Combined bundle of Windows 3.1 and MS-DOS 6. Portmanteau of Janus and Astro, the codename of MS-DOS 6. [3]
Sparta, Winball Windows 3.1 Plus Windows for Workgroups 3.1 Windows 3.1 (16-bit) with enhanced networking; designed to work particularly well as a client with the new Windows NT. [4][5]
Snowball — Windows for Workgroups 3.11 An updated version of Windows for Workgroups 3.1, which introduces 32-bit file access and network improvements. It also removes the Standard Mode, effectively dropping support for 16-bit x86 processors. [6]
Chicago Windows 4.0, Windows 93, Windows 94 Windows 95 For codenames of some of the internal components of Windows 95, see "Jaguar", "Cougar", "Panther" and "Stimpy" under § OS components [7][8]
Detroit — USB Supplement to Windows 95 OSR2 Named after Detroit, Michigan. A writer for Maximum PC suggested that "Detroit" and other Windows 95-era names were answers to the question posed by Microsoft's "Where do you want to go today?" marketing campaign. [9]
Nashville Windows 96 Dropped Named after Nashville. Cancelled upgrade for Windows 95; sometimes referred to in the press as Windows 96. Codename was reused for Internet Explorer 4.0 and Windows Desktop Update which incorporated many of the technologies planned for Nashville. [10][11]
Memphis Windows 97[citation needed] Windows 98 — [12][13]
Millennium — Windows Me ME stands for Millennium Edition; Microsoft states that it is pronounced Me. [14]

Windows NT family

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Notes Ref
Razzle NT OS/2, Advanced Windows Windows NT 3.1 Is also the name of a script that sets up the Windows NT development environment. NT OS/2 reflected the first purpose of Windows NT to serve as the next version of OS/2, before Microsoft and IBM split up. Microsoft used the NT OS/2 code to release Windows NT 3.1. [15][16][17][18]
Daytona — Windows NT 3.5 Named after the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. [19]
Cairo — Dropped A cancelled project that would have fulfilled Bill Gates' "Information at your fingertips" vision [20]
Shell Update Release — Windows NT 4.0 —
Wolfpack — Microsoft Cluster Server — [21]
Janus — Dropped Codename for the proposed 64-bit edition of Windows 2000, which was never released. [22][23]
Impala — Windows NT 4.0 Embedded — [24]
Neptune — Dropped Planned to be the first consumer-oriented release of Windows NT succeeding the Windows 9x series; merged with Odyssey to form Whistler. [25]
Triton — Dropped A cancelled successor to "Neptune". [26]
Asteroid — Windows 2000 Service Pack 1 — [27]
Odyssey — Dropped Planned to be a successor to Windows 2000; merged with Neptune to form Whistler.
Whistler Windows 2002 Windows XP Named after Whistler Blackcomb, where design retreats were held.
Mantis — Windows XP Embedded Named after the Mantis shrimp. [24]
Freestyle — Windows XP Media Center Edition — [28][29]
Harmony — Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 — [30]
Symphony — Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 — [31]
Slalom — Dropped Longhorn Media Center Edition. Scrapped in favor of including Windows Media Center in Home Premium and Ultimate editions instead of a dedicated Media Center edition.
Emerald — Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Update Rollup 2 — [32]
Diamond — Windows Media Center Included with Windows Vista. [32]
Springboard — — Set of enhanced security features, included in Windows XP Service Pack 2. [33]
Lonestar — Windows XP Tablet PC Edition 2005 — [34]
Whistler Server Windows 2002 Server,
Windows .NET Server,
Windows .NET Server 2003 		Windows Server 2003 — [35][36]
Bobcat — Windows Small Business Server 2003 Not to be confused with Microsoft Bob. [37]
Eiger, Mönch — Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs Mönch included additional features for use on mobile devices. [38][39]
Longhorn — Windows Vista Named after the Longhorn Bar in the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort; initially planned as a "minor release" between "Whistler" and "Blackcomb" (see below) [40][41][42]
Blackcomb, Vienna — Dropped The purported successor to Whistler, and later, Longhorn. Named after Whistler Blackcomb, where design retreats were held. Blackcomb was later renamed to Vienna in January 2006, named after the capital of Austria. Eventually cancelled due to scope creep and replaced with Windows 7. [43][44]
Q, Quattro — Windows Home Server — [45][46]
Vail — Windows Home Server 2011 — [47]
Longhorn Server — Windows Server 2008 — [48]
Cougar — Windows Small Business Server 2008 — [49]
Centro — Windows Essential Business Server Named after the Spanish translation of the word "center". [49]
Windows 7 — Windows 7 The number 7 comes from incrementing the internal version number of Windows Vista (6.0) by one. Often incorrectly referred to as Blackcomb or Vienna, while the codenames actually refer to an earlier Vista successor project that was cancelled due to scope creep. [43][50][51]
Windows Server 7 — Windows Server 2008 R2 —
Fiji Windows Vista Media Center Feature Pack 2008 Windows Media Center TV Pack 2008 Named after the country of Fiji. [52]
Cascades Windows Essential Business Server "v2" Windows Essential Business Server 2008 R2 (cancelled) Originally intended as the successor of Windows Essential Business Server 2008 but was cancelled "due to external factors". [53]
Aurora — Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials — [54]
Quebec — Windows Embedded Standard 7 Named after the province of Quebec [55]
Windows 8 — Windows 8 Often incorrectly referred to as Jupiter, Midori and Chidori. Jupiter is the application framework used to create "immersive" apps for Windows 8, and Midori was a separate, managed code operating system. (see below) [56][57][58]
Windows Server "8" — Windows Server 2012 — [59]
Blue — Windows 8.1 — [60]
Windows Server Blue — Windows Server 2012 R2 —
Threshold — Windows 10
Windows 10 November Update 		Named after a location seen in Halo: Combat Evolved, near which Installation 04 orbits. [61]
Redstone — Windows Server 2016
Windows 10 Creators Update
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
Windows 10 April 2018 Update
Windows Server 2019 		Named after a fictional mineral from Minecraft. [62][63]
Santorini Windows 10X Dropped Named after an island in Greece. Originally supposed to be a new OS to be released mid-late 2021, was eventually cancelled. Some of its features were integrated into Windows 11 and other products. [64]
Sun Valley — Windows 11 Named after Sun Valley, Idaho. [65][66][67][68]
Hudson Valley — Unknown A possibly-planned version of Windows scheduled to be released in 2025. Named after Hudson Valley, New York [69][70][71]

Windows platform development semesters

[edit]

The following are code names used for internal development cycle iterations of the Windows core, although they are not necessarily the code names of any of the resulting releases. With some exceptions, the semester designations usually matches the Windows version number.

Codename Semester Release Notes Ref
Titanium 19H1 Windows 10 May 2019 Update Named after the chemical element in the periodic table. [72][73]
Vanadium 19H2 Windows 10 November 2019 Update Named after the chemical element in the periodic table. [72][74][75]
Vibranium 20H1 Windows 10 May 2020 Update
Windows 10 October 2020 Update
Windows 10 May 2021 Update
Windows 10 November 2021 Update
Windows 10 2022 Update 		Named after the fictional metal Vibranium in Marvel Comics as continuing the previous line of chemical elements with Chromium could have caused confusion with the web browser project. [72][74][76]
Manganese 20H2 —[a] Named after the chemical element in the periodic table. [77]
Iron 21H1 Windows Server 2022[b] Named after the chemical element in the periodic table. [78]
Cobalt 21H2 Windows 11 Named after the chemical element in the periodic table.
Nickel 22H2 Windows 11 2022 Update
Windows 11 2023 Update 		Named after the chemical element in the periodic table. Originally planned to be the 22H1 semester, although that semester was ultimately skipped and Nickel shifted to 22H2, expanded to span the entire year. [79]
Copper 23H1 —[a] Named after the chemical element in the periodic table. [80]
Zinc[citation needed] 23H2 Windows Server, version 23H2 Named after the chemical element in the periodic table.
Gallium [citation needed] 24H1 —[a] Named after the chemical element in the periodic table.
Germanium [citation needed] 24H2 Windows 11 2024 Update
Windows Server 2025
Windows 11 2025 Update 		Named after the chemical element in the periodic table.
Dilithium [citation needed] 25H1 —[a] Named after the fictional material from Star Trek.
Selenium [citation needed] 25H2 —[a] Named after the chemical element in the periodic table.
Bromine [citation needed] 26H1 —[a] Named after the chemical element in the periodic table.
Krypton 26H2 —[a] Named after the chemical element in the periodic table.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Builds of these semesters were only released via the Windows Insider program.
  2. ^ Windows Server 2022 reports as version 21H2, although it is in fact based on the earlier Iron codebase.

Windows CE family

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Ref
Pegasus, Alder — Windows CE 1.0 [81]
Birch — Windows CE 2.0 [81]
Cedar — Windows CE 3.0 [81]
Talisker Windows CE .NET Windows CE 4.0 [81]
Jameson — Windows CE 4.1 [82]
McKendric — Windows CE 4.2 [82]
Macallan — Windows CE 5.0 [81]
Yamazaki Windows CE 6.0 Windows Embedded CE 6.0 [81][82]
Chelan Windows Embedded CE 7 Windows Embedded Compact 7 [83]

Windows Mobile

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Ref
Rapier — Pocket PC 2000 [84]
Merlin — Pocket PC 2002 [84]
Ozone — Windows Mobile 2003 [84]
Magneto — Windows Mobile 5 [84]
Crossbow — Windows Mobile 6 [84]
6 on 6 — Windows Mobile 6.1.4 [84]
Titanium — Windows Mobile 6.5 [84]
Maldives Windows Mobile 7 Windows Phone 7 [84]

Windows Phone

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Ref
Photon Windows Mobile 7 Series Windows Phone 7 [85][86]
Mango — Windows Phone 7.5 [87][88]
Apollo — Windows Phone 8 [88]
Blue — Windows Phone 8.1 [61]
Threshold — Windows 10 Mobile [61]

Others

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Notes Ref
Singularity — — Experimental operating system based on the Microsoft .NET platform, using software-based type safety as a replacement for hardware-based memory protection. Evolved into Midori. [89]
Midori — — A managed code operating system being developed by Microsoft with joint effort of Microsoft Research. [90][91]
Red Dog Windows Cloud Azure Microsoft cloud services platform [92]
Tahiti — — Supposedly a family of multi-core technologies including an operating system, applications and development tools designed to make better use of today's multi-core CPUs. Midori may be a part of this suite of new Microsoft technologies. [93]
Tokyo Azure AD Cloud App Discovery Cloud App Discovery Azure-based data-directory service designed to help connect the right people to the right data. [94]
Zurich — .NET Services Part of Microsoft Azure, Microsoft's cloud computing platform, that focuses on extended software development based on .NET Framework to the cloud. [92][95][96]

OS components

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Notes Ref
Anaheim — Microsoft Edge A rewrite of Microsoft's web browser, based on the Chromium project. [97]
Barcelona — Windows Defender Application Guard A security feature for running the Microsoft Edge web browser inside a virtual machine, thus isolating it from the rest of the system in the event that it was hacked. [98]
Beihai Paint 3D 3D version of Microsoft Paint [99]
Code Integrity Rooting Secure Startup BitLocker A security feature that checks and validates the integrity of Windows boot and system components. [100][101]
Continuum Tablet Mode Continuum A Windows 10 feature that enables hybrid devices to switch between tablet mode and desktop mode. An immediately manifest effect is the Start screen getting maximized in tablet mode. [102]
Cornerstone Secure Startup BitLocker Full disk encryption feature introduced in Windows Vista and present in subsequent versions that utilizes the Trusted Platform Module to perform integrity checking prior to operating system startup. [100][103]
Assistant — Cortana An intelligent personal assistant included with Windows 10, named after an artificial intelligence character in Halo [104]
Cougar — VMM32 32-bit kernel [7][105][106]
Darwin Microsoft Installer Windows Installer A Windows service and application programming interface for installing software on computers running Microsoft Windows operating systems [107]
Frosting — Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95 [108]
Hydra — Terminal Services, Windows Terminal Server Terminal Server adds "multiheading" support to Windows (the ability to run multiple instances of the graphics subsystem), and the hydra is a mythological monster with multiple heads. [109]
Jaguar — — 16-bit DOS kernel for Windows 95 based on MS-DOS 5.0, used by Windows 95 boot loader and compatibility layer. [7][105][106]
Jupiter — WinRT XAML A new application framework on Windows 8 used to create cross-platform "immersive" apps. [110]
Monad MSH, Microsoft Shell Windows PowerShell "Monads", according to philosopher Gottfried Leibniz's monadology, are the ultimate elements of the universe, individual percipient beings, and MSH is similarly composed of small, individual modules the user puts in interrelation. [111]
Morro — Microsoft Security Essentials MSE was codenamed after the Morro de São Paulo beach in Brazil. [112][113]
Neon — Fluent Design Microsoft Fluent Design System is a revamp of the Windows UI based around five key components: Light, Depth, Motion, Material, and Scale. [114]
O'Hare — Internet Explorer 1 Internet Explorer 1, first shipped in Microsoft Plus! for Windows 95: The codename O'Hare ties into the Chicago codename for Windows 95: O'Hare International Airport is the largest airport in the city of Chicago, Illinois — in Microsoft's words, "a point of departure to distant places from Chicago". [115]
Panther — — Cancelled. Panther was a 32-bit kernel based on Windows NT kernel. [105][106]
Pinball — High Performance File System (HPFS) "Pinball" is the nickname (as opposed to a codename) for HPFS because HPFS driver in Windows NT 3.5 is called PINBALL.SYS. [116][117][118]
Piton — ReadyDrive Feature introduced in Windows Vista to support hybrid drives [119][120]
Protogon — ReFS The successor of NTFS [121]
Rincon — Internet Explorer 7 Rincon is a surfing beach in Puerto Rico [122]
Spartan — Microsoft Edge [Legacy] Web browser first introduced in Windows 10, which uses EdgeHTML rendering engine. Refers to Spartans in Halo. [123]
Stimpy — Windows Shell Applies to Windows 95 only. [105][106]
Viridian — Hyper-V Virtualization update for Windows Server 2008 [124]
WinFS — — A cancelled data storage and management system project based on relational databases, first demonstrated in 2003 as an advanced storage subsystem for the Microsoft Windows, designed for persistence and management of structured, semi-structured as well as unstructured data. [125][126]
Cascadia — Windows Terminal A terminal emulator for Windows 10. [127]

Microsoft Servers

[edit]

SQL Server family

[edit]
Codename Final name Notes Ref
SQLNT SQL Server 4.21 [citation needed]
SQL95 SQL Server 6.0 [citation needed]
Hydra SQL Server 6.5 [citation needed]
Sphinx SQL Server 7.0 [128]
Plato OLAP Services 7.0 "OLAP Services" was later renamed Microsoft Analysis Services [129]
Shiloh SQL Server 2000 Version 8 [citation needed]
Rosetta Reporting Services in SQL Server 2000 [citation needed]
Yukon SQL Server 2005 Version 9 [130]

[131]

Picasso Analysis Services in SQL Server 2005 [citation needed]
Katmai SQL Server 2008 Version 10 [132]

[133]

Kilimanjaro SQL Server 2008 R2 Version 10.5 [134]
Blue SQL Server 2008 Report Designer 2.0 This is the standalone release of the tool for Reporting Services. It must not be confused with Report Builder 2.0. [135]

[136] [137]

Denali SQL Server 2012 Version 11 [138]

[139] [140]

Juneau SQL Server Data Tools Was included in SQL Server 2012, later released as a standalone downloadable application [141]
Crescent Power View A data visualisation tool that originally shipped as part of SQL Server 2012, later an add-in for Microsoft Excel [142]
SQL14 SQL Server 2014 Version 12 [143]
Hekaton SQL Server In-Memory OLTP In-memory database engine built into SQL Server 2014 [144]
SQL16 SQL Server 2016 Version 13 [145]
Helsinki SQL Server 2017 Version 14 [146]

[147]

Seattle SQL Server 2019 Version 15 [148]
Aris SQL Server Big Data Clusters Announced at Microsoft Ignite 2018 event on September 24–28. Retirement announced for Feb-28 2025 [149]
Dallas SQL Server 2022 Version 16. Public preview available for download. Announced at Microsoft Build 2022 event on May 24 [150]

Others

[edit]
Codename Final name Ref
Hermes Microsoft System Management Server 1.0 [151]
Catapult Microsoft Proxy Server 1.0 [152]
Geneva Active Directory Federation Services [153]
Falcon Microsoft Message Queue Server [154]
Viper Microsoft Transaction Server [155]
Normandy Microsoft's Commercial Internet System (CIS) [156]
Stirling Microsoft Forefront Protection Suite [157]

Developers tools

[edit]

Visual Studio family

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Notes Ref
Thunder Visual Basic 1.0 The first version of Visual Basic. The standard dialogs and controls created by the Visual Basic runtime library all have "Thunder" as a prefix of their internal type names (for example, buttons are internally known as ThunderCommandButton). [158]
Escher Microsoft Visual Basic for MS-DOS [citation needed]
Dolphin Microsoft Visual C++ 2.0 [citation needed]
Zamboni Microsoft Visual C++ 4.1 After Zamboni, an ice resurfacing machine. [158]
Boston Microsoft Visual Studio 97 Named for Boston, Massachusetts [159]
Cuervo Microsoft Visual Basic 5.0 Control Creation Edition [160]
Aspen Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 Named after the popular ski destination Aspen, Colorado [161]
Cassini Web Server ASP.NET Development Server The lightweight local Web server that is launched in Visual Studio in order to test Web projects [162]
Hatteras Visual Studio Team System's Source Control System — Named after the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in the Outer Banks region of North Carolina [163]
Ocracoke Visual Studio Team System load testing suite — Named after the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse on Ocracoke Island, also in North Carolina [163]
Currituck Team Foundation Work Item Tracking — Named after the Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla, North Carolina [163]
Bodie Team Foundation Server SDK — Named after the Bodie Island Lighthouse in North Carolina [163]
Tuscany Online version of Visual Studio. Currently a research project [164]
Phoenix — A Microsoft research software development kit [165]
Eaglestone Visual Studio Team Explorer Everywhere This is the name given to the Teamprise suite Microsoft acquired. The product is now named Visual Studio Team Explorer Everywhere [166][167]
KittyHawk Visual Studio LightSwitch RAD tool aimed at non-programmers [168][169]
Rainier Visual Studio .NET (2002) Named for Mount Rainier, a volcanic mountain peak visible from the Seattle area (where Microsoft is based) [170]
Everett Visual Studio .NET 2003 Named after the town Everett, Washington, in Washington state [170][171][172]
Whidbey[172] Visual Studio 2005 Named after Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound[170][171]
Orcas Visual Studio 2008 Named after Orcas Island in the Puget Sound [170][171][172]
Camano Microsoft Test and Lab Manager Microsoft Test Manager, a part of Visual Studio 2010 Test Professional, Premium and Ultimate editions Named after Camano Island in the Puget Sound [173][174][175]
Rosario Visual Studio Ultimate 2010 (formerly Team System or Team Suite) [176]
Cider — Visual Studio designer for building Windows Presentation Foundation applications, meant to be used by application developers [177]
Monaco Monaco Editor In-browser IDE for Visual Studio. Monaco powers Visual Studio Code. [178][179]

.NET Framework family

[edit]
Codename Final name Notes Ref
Astoria WCF Data Services Enables the creation and consumption of OData services for the web [180]
Atlas ASP.NET AJAX An implementation for ASP.NET of Ajax native to .NET Framework 2.0 [181]
Avalon Windows Presentation Foundation Graphical subsystem released as part of .NET Framework 3.0 [182]
Fusion — .NET Framework subsystem for locating and loading assemblies, including GAC management [183][184]
Hailstorm .NET My Services [185]
Indigo Windows Communication Foundation An application programming interface (API) in .NET Framework for building connected, service-oriented applications [186]
Jolt Silverlight 1.0 [187]
Lightning, Project 42 .NET Framework 1.0 Project Lightning was the original codename for the Common Language Runtime in 1997. The team was based in building 42, hence Project 42. [188][189]
Project 7 — Early program to recruit implementors of both commercial and academic languages to target the Common Language Runtime. 7 was a prime factor of 42, metaphorizing the relationship between Project 7 and Project 42 (see above). [190]
Roslyn .NET Compiler Platform Open-source project that exposes programmatic access to compilers via corresponding APIs [191][192][193][194]

Languages

[edit]
Codename Final name Notes Ref
Clarity Language Integrated Query (LINQ) LINQ Language extensions to expose query syntax natively to languages such as Visual Basic .NET and C# [citation needed]
D M Modelling language [citation needed]
Jakarta Visual J++ Named after the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta
Metro Microsoft Design language A typography-based design language [195]

Others

[edit]
Codename Final name Notes Ref
Godot Microsoft Layer for Unicode Named after the play Waiting for Godot (centered around the endless wait for a man named "Godot" who never comes), because it was felt to be long overdue. [196]
Volta — A developer toolset for building multi-tier web applications [197]
Project Centennial Desktop App Converter Allows developers to re-package existing desktop apps into the APPX format of Universal Windows Platform and sell them in Windows Store. [198][199]

Gaming hardware

[edit]
Codename Final name Notes Ref
DirectX Box Xbox [200]
Natal Kinect Motion sensitive control system. [201][202]
Xenon Xbox 360 Successor to the original Xbox. [203]
Durango Xbox One Successor to Xbox 360. [204]
Edmonton Xbox One S Xbox One with 4K and HEVC Support. [205]
Scorpio Xbox One X Upgrade to Xbox One, announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2016. Has 6 TFLOPS GPU and 8-core CPU. [206]
Scarlett Xbox Series X|S Project name for a family of next-gen consoles. Xbox Anaconda and Xbox Lockhart are both part of Project Scarlet. Announced by Microsoft at E3 2018. [207]
Anaconda Xbox Series X Successor to Xbox One. Higher end model. Announced by Microsoft at The Game Awards 2019. Later called "Starkville"[208] [209]Xbox Series X|S
Lockhart Xbox Series S Potential lower end model for a cheaper price. Was announced by Microsoft in September 2020. Would be successor to Xbox One S. Later called "Edith".[208] [209]
Ellewood Xbox Series S - 1TB Digital Edition Codename for the Xbox Series S - 1TB Digital Edition console. [208]
Brooklin Xbox Series X - 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition Codename for the Xbox Series X - 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition console. [208]
Edinburgh Originally spotted by software developer bllyhlbrt on Twitter, a new codename, Xbox Edinburgh, can be seen within the Xbox One's operating system, underneath Lockhart and Anaconda. [210]
Count One of the codenames originally spotted by software developer bllyhlbrt on Twitter. [210]

Office software

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Notes Ref
Albany Microsoft Equipt Microsoft's all-in-one, subscription-based service for office, communication, and security software [211]
Bandit Schedule+ 1.0 Microsoft's first Personal Information Manager [citation needed]
Barney Money 1.0 Microsoft's personal finance software (Flintstones theme) [citation needed]
Betty Money 2.0 [citation needed]
Budapest Microsoft Office Communicator Web Access 2005 [citation needed]
Bullet Microsoft Mail 3.0 Microsoft's first LAN-based email product written in-house [citation needed]
Cirrus Microsoft Access 1.0 [citation needed]
CRM V1.0, Tsunami Microsoft CRM 1.0 The platform was initially codenamed Tsunami, but once the decision was made to make it an actual product it was just changed to the initials as the initials were enough of a codename. [212]
Danube Phase I Microsoft CRM 1.2 [212]
Danube Phase II Microsoft CRM 3 [212]
Dino Microsoft Money 3.0 [citation needed]
Kilimanjaro Titan Microsoft CRM 4 Was originally Kilimanjaro but changed to Titan, as Kilimanjaro was too difficult to spell [212]
Deco Microsoft PhotoDraw [citation needed]
Greenwich Real-Time Communications Server 2003 Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2003 [citation needed]
Istanbul Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 [citation needed]
Maestro Microsoft Office Business Scorecard Manager 2005 [citation needed]
Opus Word for Windows v1.0 for Windows 2.x [citation needed]
Oslo Microsoft BizTalk Server SOA, SQL Server Modeling CTP — Set of Service-oriented architecture (SOA) technologies [213][214][215]
Ren, Stimpy Wren Microsoft Outlook "Stimpy" was merged into "Ren", which later became "Wren". "Ren" and "Stimpy" are references to Ren and Stimpy, characters of an American animated television series. "Wren", a homophone of "Ren", is a reference to Christopher Wren, the architect of St Paul's Cathedral. [216]
Rigel Skype Room Systems A meeting room system designed to interface with Skype [217]
Tahiti Microsoft SharedView — A screen sharing tool which allows users to take over sessions and interact with remote desktops. No audio or conference facilities. [218][219]
Tahoe SharePoint Portal Server 2001
Utopia Microsoft Bob Intended to be a user-friendly GUI [220]

Other codenames

[edit]
Codename Preliminary name Final name Notes Ref
Acropolis — Application framework for Smart Clients [citation needed]
Aero Diamond — Used during the development of Windows Vista to describe a set of advanced user interface effects for the Desktop Window Manager to be introduced after Vista's release [221]
Alexandria Zune Marketplace An online music store [citation needed]
Argo Zune A digital media player [citation needed]
Atlanta — A cloud service that monitors Microsoft SQL Server deployments [222]
Baraboo Microsoft HoloLens [223]
Blackbird — An online content-authoring platform centered around the concept of distributed Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) and meant to be an alternative to HTML. The developer tools were originally released in beta and some titles were made available on MSDN before it was scrapped in favor of web development around ASP and ActiveX and the designer was refashioned into Visual InterDev. [citation needed]
Concur — Aims to: define higher-level abstractions (above "threads and locks"); for today's imperative languages; that evenly support the range of concurrency granularities; to let developers write correct and efficient concurrent applications; with much latent parallelism; that can be efficiently mapped to the user's. [citation needed]
Dallas — Aims to help discover, purchase and manage, premium data subscriptions in the Windows Azure platform [224]
Dorado Zune PC Client [citation needed]
Eldorado MVP Reconnect Program to recognize alumni of Microsoft's Most Valuable Professional award program when they left the program in good standing or were not re-awarded. [225]
HailStorm .NET My Services Collection of web services centered around the storage and retrieval of information. Cancelled before it could fully materialize. [226][227]
Honolulu Windows Admin Center [citation needed]
Ibiza Azure Portal Website for managing cloud resources [228]
Kratos PowerApps Software for building and sharing native, mobile, and Web apps [229]
Kumo Bing Microsoft's set of features improving Live Search search engine [citation needed]
Marvel The Microsoft Network The classic version of MSN, originally as a proprietary, "walled garden" online service [citation needed]
Media2Go Windows Mobile software for Portable Media Centers Platform built on Windows Mobile found on portable media players [230][231]
Metro XML Paper Specification (XPS) Named after Metro by T-Mobile, a wireless prepaid service in the United States.[citation needed] [citation needed]
Milan Surface Microsoft PixelSense Table-top style computer with multi-touch touchscreen interface [citation needed]
Mira — Windows CE .NET-based technology for smart displays [232][233]
Monaco — Music-making program similar to Apple GarageBand application [234]
Origami Ultra-Mobile PC [citation needed]
Palladium Trusted Windows — Effort to develop a small, very secure operating environment within Windows, including curtained memory, trusted input, and graphics. Project renamed to Next-Generation Secure Computing Base, and was never fully implemented. [235][236]
Softsled — Software based Windows Media Center Extender[clarification needed Is it "software-based" or "software based on"?] [citation needed]
Springfield Microsoft Popfly — Website in Alpha testing stage providing mashup and webpages creation tools, with publishing as Rich Internet Application option [237]
Sydney Bing Chat Copilot [238]
Wolverine TCP/IP stack for Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Named after the Wolverine, a character from Marvel Comics. [239]
Pink Microsoft Kin [240]

References

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List of Microsoft codenames

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codenames are the internal, temporary designations given by to its software products, services, features, and projects during the development process, prior to the assignment of their official public names. These codenames facilitate secure internal discussions, protect , and help build team morale by providing memorable identifiers. The tradition of using codenames began in the 1980s with early products like for Windows (codenamed Opus) and has since expanded to encompass Microsoft's entire ecosystem, including operating systems, office suites, platforms like Azure (originally Project Red Dog), developer tools, and server software. Many codenames draw inspiration from geographical features, particularly ski resorts and locations in the near Microsoft's Redmond headquarters, reflecting the company's culture and the interests of its employees—for instance, was codenamed , was Whistler (after the Whistler ski resort in ), originated as Longhorn (named after a bar at the resort), and Blackcomb was originally the codename for a planned successor to Windows XP intended for release in the second half of 2002 but was canceled, with the name later reused for the project that became (another nearby peak). This comprehensive list catalogs hundreds of such codenames, offering a chronological and categorical glimpse into the evolution of Microsoft's innovations from personal to enterprise solutions and beyond, highlighting both successful releases and canceled projects.

Operating Systems

Windows 9x and Earlier

The early iterations of Microsoft Windows served primarily as graphical user interfaces layered atop , marking the initial shift from command-line to a more accessible for consumer personal computers. This DOS-based architecture persisted through the Windows 3.x series, emphasizing enhancements in multitasking and while maintaining with existing software. By the mid-1990s, the evolution progressed to hybrid kernels in the line, blending 16-bit and 32-bit components for improved performance and hardware integration without fully abandoning foundations. Windows 3.1, codenamed , was released on April 6, 1992, and represented a significant refinement of the Windows graphical shell. It introduced font technology for scalable typography across applications, enhanced to support up to 256 MB of RAM, and improved setup utilities for easier installation on systems. These updates made it more suitable for business and home use, solidifying Windows as a viable alternative to text-based interfaces. An extension, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, codenamed , followed in November 1993, focusing on networked environments. It added built-in networking capabilities, including file and printer sharing over IPX/SPX or NetBEUI protocols, along with 32-bit disk access for faster performance on compatible hardware. This version bridged individual productivity tools with basic collaborative features, anticipating the rise of office connectivity without requiring dedicated servers. The series began with , codenamed , launched on August 24, 1995. It integrated the kernel directly into the operating system, eliminating the need for a separate boot loader and enabling features like long filenames and a unified for streamlined navigation. Early internet support was bolstered through bundled and Dial-Up Networking, facilitating consumer access to online services amid the burgeoning web era. Succeeding it, , codenamed Memphis, arrived on June 25, 1998. This release enhanced hardware compatibility with native USB support, for multimedia acceleration, and improved system stability via better in 32-bit subsystems. It maintained the design, prioritizing ease of use for home users with integrated web browsing and entertainment tools. The final entry in the 9x lineage, Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me), codenamed Millennium, was released on September 14, 2000. It emphasized digital media and personalization, introducing System Restore for recovery from software issues, enhanced Movie Maker for video editing, and deeper integration with Windows Media Player. Despite these consumer-oriented advances, the hybrid architecture highlighted ongoing compatibility challenges, paving the way for kernel transitions in subsequent versions.

Windows NT Family

The Windows NT family represents Microsoft's enterprise-oriented operating system lineage, built on a robust, secure kernel architecture that diverged from the DOS-based series by emphasizing preemptive multitasking, protected memory, and hardware portability. Launched in the early , this family targeted professional workstations and later unified consumer and business variants, evolving through successive releases with incremental kernel improvements for performance, security, and . Codenames during development often evoked natural or adventurous themes, guiding internal milestones from initial betas to release-to-manufacturing (RTM) phases. Development of the inaugural began in 1988 under project leader Dave Cutler, culminating in its RTM on July 27, 1993, with a kernel version of 3.1 that introduced 32-bit addressing, the file system for enhanced data integrity, and support for multiple CPU architectures including x86, MIPS, and Alpha. Codenamed Razzle (also known as NT ), this release marked the NT kernel's debut as a fully portable, multiprocessing OS. Key enhancements focused on reliability for networked environments, setting the stage for future iterations despite initial hardware demands exceeding typical consumer setups of the era. The successor, , codenamed Daytona after the speedway to symbolize performance gains, entered development shortly after NT 3.1 and reached RTM on September 21, 1994, with kernel version 3.50. Optimizations reduced memory usage from 12 MB to 8 MB minimum, added native PCI bus support, improved threading for better responsiveness, and enhanced networking protocols, making it viable for mid-range hardware and boosting adoption in corporate settings. A minor update, NT 3.51 (May 30, 1995), further refined kernel stability without a new codename. Windows , internally referred to as the Shell Update Release (SUR) to integrate the interface with the NT kernel, began development in 1995 and shipped to RTM on July 31, 1996 (retail August 24), featuring kernel version 4.0. Enhancements included the Win32 API updates for multimedia support, built-in [Internet Explorer](/page/Internet Explorer) 2.0, and improved power management, while maintaining backward compatibility with NT 3.51 applications. This version solidified NT's role in enterprise desktops by blending consumer usability with server-grade security. Windows 2000, developed as 5.0 without a thematic codename, unified the NT line's workstation and server editions; its timeline spanned from 1996 planning to RTM on December 15, 1999 (retail February 17, 2000), with kernel version 5.0. Major kernel advancements introduced for centralized management, enhanced for dynamic hardware detection, and improved file system compression, enabling scalable domain-based networking for businesses. The pivotal , codenamed Whistler after the Canadian ski resort, merged consumer () and professional NT codebases starting in late 1999, with beta testing from June 2000 and RTM on August 24, 2001 (retail October 25). Built on kernel version 5.1, it delivered unified editions (Home and Professional), the Luna visual style for intuitive interfaces, Fast User Switching, and strengthened security via improved access controls, while enhancing multimedia and wireless support to bridge home and office use. Following Windows XP, Microsoft planned a successor codenamed Blackcomb, intended for release in the second half of 2002. This project aimed to introduce significant innovations in storage and file systems, building on XP's foundation, but was canceled as development efforts shifted toward what became the Longhorn project and Windows Vista. The Blackcomb codename was later reused for a subsequent Windows initiative. Windows Vista, originating from the ambitious Longhorn project initiated in 2001 as a successor to Whistler, faced delays due to feature scope; it reached RTM on November 8, 2006 (retail January 30, 2007), with kernel version 6.0. Core enhancements comprised the Aero Glass interface for transparency effects, (UAC) for elevated privilege prompts, and Windows Defender integration, though many original Longhorn innovations like advanced search were scaled back for stability. Post-Vista planning under codenames and the later reuse of Blackcomb—initially envisioned as major evolutions with advanced file systems and cloud integration—evolved into , which began focused development in 2007 and hit RTM on July 22, 2009 (retail October 22). Kernel version 6.1 brought performance optimizations reducing boot times by up to 30%, expanded touch and tablet support via gestures, and refined libraries for better application compatibility, addressing Vista's criticisms while retaining its security foundation. Windows 10, codenamed Threshold to denote a foundational shift, entered public preview in September 2014 after internal work from 2013, achieving RTM on July 15, 2015 (retail July 29). With kernel version 10.0, it introduced the Start menu revival, Cortana virtual assistant, universal Windows apps for cross-device consistency, and Continuum mode for hybrid PC-tablet use, emphasizing regular feature updates over versioned releases. Windows 11, developed under the Sun Valley codename inspired by the resort, built on Windows 10's core with UI redesign efforts starting in 2020, releasing to RTM on June 15, 2021 (retail October 5). Retaining kernel version 10.0 for compatibility, enhancements included centered and , Snap Layouts for multitasking, rounded corners for modern aesthetics, and native Android app support via Windows Subsystem for Android, prioritizing design cohesion and security like TPM 2.0 requirements.
Codenamed ProjectFinal ProductRelease YearKernel VersionNotable Kernel Enhancements
Razzle19933.132-bit portability, , support
Daytona19943.50Performance tuning, PCI/IDE support, reduced memory overhead
Shell Update Release (SUR)19964.0Win32 subsystem updates, integration, IE embedding
NT 5.020005.0, advanced PnP, file compression
Whistler20015.1Unified editions, security hardening, wireless enhancements
BlackcombCanceled2002 (planned)N/APlanned advanced file systems and storage innovations
Longhorn20076.0UAC, Aero compositing, Defender baseline
Vienna (Blackcomb reused)20096.1Boot optimization, APIs, compatibility shims
Threshold201510.0Universal app runtime, virtual desktops, update servicing model
Sun Valley202110.0TPM enforcement, Snap Assist, subsystem for Android

Windows Server Editions

The development of Windows Server editions began with the foundational work on the kernel, sharing origins with desktop variants to ensure compatibility while emphasizing server scalability for enterprise environments. Early server releases built on this kernel to support networked operations, with codenames reflecting internal project phases focused on reliability and multi-user capabilities. For instance, the initial server-oriented build based on was internally known as Razzle, serving as the base for subsequent server optimizations in datacenter settings. A significant advancement came with the codename Hydra, applied to the Terminal Server Edition of , released in 1998, which introduced multi-session support for remote access and application sharing, enhancing enterprise resource utilization over networks. This edition integrated with Server 4.0 to enable multiple users to run applications simultaneously on a single server, a key step in virtualizing desktop experiences for business productivity. Later, the Hydra project extended 32-bit Windows capabilities to terminal applications, allowing centralized management of client sessions in corporate infrastructures. Subsequent server editions aligned release cycles with desktop counterparts to maintain kernel consistency, while incorporating enterprise-specific enhancements like improved clustering and security protocols. Windows Server 2000, derived from the Windows 2000 family, integrated for centralized authentication and directory services, facilitating scalable management of users and resources across large networks. The codename Longhorn Server designated the development of , released in 2008, which added role-based administration, for reduced attack surfaces, and for virtualization, optimizing datacenter efficiency and tying closely to the kernel updates. More recent iterations, such as , continued this pattern without a distinct new codename, building directly on the Windows 10 version 1809 codebase to deliver hybrid cloud integrations and storage replicas for high-availability scenarios. Similarly, Windows Server 2025, released in late 2024, leverages the 24H2 branch—internally referenced with the codename —to enhance security features like Secured-core Server and hotpatching, while maintaining synchronization with client OS advancements for seamless deployments in modern datacenters.
CodenameRelease NameRelease YearKey Enterprise Features
Razzle Server base1993Foundational NT kernel for networked servers
Hydra Terminal Server1998Multi-session remote access and application sharing
(No unique) 20002000 integration for directory services
Longhorn Server2008 virtualization and role-based
(No unique)2018Hybrid cloud support and storage replicas
20252024Secured-core enhancements and hotpatching

Embedded and Mobile Windows

The Windows CE family represented Microsoft's early efforts to adapt the Windows architecture for resource-constrained embedded and mobile devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and handheld computers, with strict limitations on memory and processing power to fit low-footprint hardware. Windows CE 1.0, codenamed , was released in November 1996 and targeted devices with as little as 2 MB of RAM and 4 MB of ROM, supporting up to 32 processes and 32 MB of per process, enabling basic graphical user interfaces on early PDAs like the MobilePro 200. Subsequent iterations built on this foundation while addressing hardware evolution. Windows CE 2.0, codenamed , arrived in November 1997, expanding support for color displays up to 24-bit depth at 640x480 resolution and increasing manageable memory to 4 MB, which allowed for broader adoption in handheld PCs and auto PCs with improved scalability for OEM customization. By Windows CE 3.0 in April 2000, the platform incorporated 2000 (codenamed ), released the same month, which optimized for touch-enabled PDAs with 16 MB RAM minimums and support, facilitating the shift toward consumer while maintaining embedded constraints like limited multitasking to conserve battery life. The lineage advanced with editions, where , codenamed Magneto, launched in May 2005 on devices requiring at least 64 MB storage and 32 MB RAM, introducing managed code support via .NET Compact Framework to enhance security and persistence for smartphones and PDAs under power and thermal constraints typical of early mobile hardware. This version marked a pivot toward unified mobile experiences, with release timelines aligned to hardware cycles, such as integration with and processors limited to architectures for efficiency. Windows Phone introduced a modern tile-based interface, evolving from the canceled Windows Mobile 7 project (initially codenamed in 2008), which aimed to retain CE kernel compatibility but was scrapped for a full rewrite; launched in October 2010 without a public codename, targeting devices with 256 MB RAM and capacitive touchscreens, emphasizing cloud integration over legacy embedded scalability. Windows Phone 7.5, codenamed , rolled out in September 2011, adding over 500 features like local token storage and multitasking within 512 MB RAM limits, extending support for Nokia and HTC hardware until the platform's end in 2017. Later in the CE family, , codenamed Yamazaki, debuted on November 30, 2006, with a revamped kernel supporting up to 32,000 processes and 2 GB per process, removing prior 32 GB volume limits via to accommodate industrial devices like medical equipment and point-of-sale terminals constrained to 32-128 MB RAM and real-time response needs. Mainstream support ended April 9, 2013, and extended support concluded April 10, 2018, prompting migrations due to evolving security requirements in embedded environments. The transition to contemporary embedded systems culminated in , introduced in 2015 as part of without a prominent public codename, leveraging the MinWin kernel foundation—a minimal 25 MB core of essential components like the NT kernel and Win32 subsystems—to enable headless operation on low-power IoT devices such as boards with 256 MB RAM minimums and secure boot constraints for industrial sensors and gateways. This shift prioritized modularity over CE's bespoke tooling, aligning release timelines with annual Windows updates while enforcing device-specific restrictions like no desktop shell to optimize for always-on, network-connected scenarios.

Platform Development Milestones

Microsoft's early platform development efforts included ambitious projects aimed at reimagining the foundational architecture of its operating systems. Project Cairo, initiated in 1991, sought to develop an object-oriented and a unified storage model to enable seamless access to distributed resources across networks, fulfilling ' vision of "information at your fingertips." This initiative envisioned a next-generation with advanced object technologies, including universal naming conventions and component-based services, but it was ultimately scaled back due to technical complexities and resource demands, with key elements like the (COM) influencing subsequent releases. In the late 2010s, pursued as an internal codename for a modular desktop shell based on Windows Core OS, aimed at lightweight devices like low-cost laptops and tablets to provide a modern with reduced legacy dependencies. Although the project was canceled around , it represented experiments in shell updates for improved and compatibility in emerging form factors. Shifting to more recent practices, adopted a semester-based development model for Windows under its "Windows as a Service" paradigm, assigning codenames inspired by the periodic table to denote engineering phases focused on iterative improvements. These milestones emphasize UI refreshes, performance optimizations, and feature integrations such as enhanced and security enhancements. The milestone, corresponding to the 19H1 semester in , targeted lighter resource usage and a new light UI theme to modernize the desktop experience while streamlining update processes. Following , the codename marked the 20H1 semester in 2020, prioritizing integrations like the 2 (WSL2) for better developer productivity and cloud compatibility, alongside UI refinements for taskbar and notifications to enhance multitasking. The Iron milestone for 21H1 in 2021 focused on enterprise-grade stability, introducing the for cross-platform app development and subtle UI tweaks to support hybrid work environments. Advancing further, the codename designates the 24H2 platform milestone in 2024, underpinning major architectural shifts for AI-driven features, including native support for Copilot+ PCs with neural processing units (NPUs) and refreshed UI elements like improved snapping and integrations to boost and .
Codenamed MilestoneSemester/YearKey Goals
19H1 (2019)UI light theme, performance optimizations, reduced update size
20H1 (2020)WSL2 integration, enhancements, cloud-ready features
Iron21H1 (2021)Enterprise stability, app SDK introduction, hybrid work support
24H2 (2024)AI platform foundation, NPU optimizations, advanced UI snapping

System Components and Interfaces

Browsers and Web Technologies

Microsoft's web browsers and related technologies have evolved through various internal codenames, marking key advancements in rendering engines, feature integration, and compatibility with Windows operating systems. The first version of , version 1.0, was developed under the codename O'Hare and released in August 1995 as part of Microsoft Plus! for . This initial browser was licensed from Spyglass Mosaic and served as a basic web client tied to the ecosystem, providing foundational internet access without native OS integration at launch. O'Hare emphasized simplicity, with features limited to basic rendering and navigation, and it set the stage for deeper Windows bundling in later iterations. Internet Explorer 3.0, released on August 13, 1996, introduced significant enhancements including full support for controls, which allowed developers to embed interactive components like and forms directly into web pages for a more dynamic browsing experience. This version was bundled with OSR 2, enhancing OS-level internet connectivity, and also supported upon its release later that year. integration marked a pivotal shift toward richer web applications, though it raised security concerns due to its reliance on code execution within the browser environment. Subsequent evolutions relied on the rendering engine, codenamed for the layout core (also known as MSHTML) introduced with 4.0 in September 1997. Trident powered IE versions from 4.0 through 11, handling , CSS, and scripting rendering while supporting and other proprietary extensions. It debuted alongside , where IE 4.0 became more tightly integrated as a shell component, blurring lines between browser and OS interface. In a major pivot, Microsoft Edge's original incarnation was developed under Project Spartan, announced in 2015 and released with on July 29, 2015. Spartan featured the rendering engine—a streamlined fork of Trident—dropping legacy support for improved performance and standards compliance, including better Cortana integration for web searches. This version emphasized a minimalist UI and was positioned as 's successor, with IE retained for enterprise compatibility. By December 2018, shifted Edge to a Chromium-based under the codename Anaheim, aiming for cross-platform consistency and broader web standards adherence using the Blink engine. The rebuilt Edge launched as the default browser in Windows 10 version 1903 in May 2019, incorporating features like vertical tabs and Collections while maintaining legacy IE mode via emulation for . This transition aligned Edge more closely with Windows updates, such as enhancements in for security and performance.

User Interfaces and Design Systems

Microsoft's user interfaces and design systems have evolved significantly since the mid-1990s, transitioning from basic graphical shells to sophisticated, adaptive visual languages that emphasize , , and hardware capabilities like transparency and motion. Early efforts focused on integrating command-line and graphical elements into a cohesive desktop experience, while later iterations prioritized touch-friendly designs and material simulations to enhance depth and across devices. This progression reflects Microsoft's response to trends, from desktop dominance to mobile and mixed-reality integration, with each major codename marking a pivotal shift in visual style and functionality. The codename, used for the Windows 95 user interface released in August 1995, introduced the foundational shell that defined modern Windows desktops. It featured the iconic for program access, a persistent for quick switching between applications, and plug-and-play support for peripherals, replacing the Program Manager interface of prior versions with a more intuitive, object-oriented design. This shell integrated compatibility while supporting 32-bit multitasking, enabling smoother multitasking and a unified , which was adopted widely and influenced all subsequent Windows UIs. Building on this foundation, the Luna codename represented the visual style for , launched in October 2001. Luna overhauled the interface with subtle gradients, rounded window corners, and color schemes in blue (default), olive green, and silver variants, adding a layer of polish and accessibility through larger icons and animated transitions. It marked the introduction of theme support via the Luna visual style engine, which allowed customization without third-party tools, and was rapidly adopted as the default for consumer editions, enhancing user engagement during XP's decade-long dominance. The Aero design, debuted in in January 2007 and refined in in October 2009, shifted toward translucent, glass-like effects to convey depth and professionalism. Codenamed during Longhorn development, Aero incorporated hardware-accelerated features like window transparency, live thumbnails for previewing content, and Flip 3D for animated window navigation, requiring 9-compatible graphics for full implementation. Its adoption timeline aligned with Vista's rollout, though initial hardware limitations delayed widespread use until Windows 7's optimized version, which became the standard for enterprise and consumer desktops emphasizing visual feedback and reduced clutter. In a departure from skeuomorphism, the Metro codename defined the flat, typography-centric design language for , released in October 2012. Metro prioritized content over ornamentation with live tiles on the Start screen, sans-serif fonts, and minimalistic layouts optimized for touch input, evolving from earlier and interfaces. It was adopted immediately upon launch but faced criticism for desktop alienation, leading to phase it out by in October 2013 and fully replace it in later versions, though its principles influenced app-centric experiences. The project, rebranded as the in May 2017, brought evolutionary refinements to starting with the Fall Creators Update in October 2017. Codenamed Neon during development, it introduced five pillars—light for adaptive illumination, depth via elevation and , motion for natural animations, with acrylic blur and reveal effects for translucency, and scale for responsive sizing across devices. Rollout continued incrementally through updates like the April 2018 version, enhancing the taskbar, Settings app, and with frosted glass aesthetics, and remains the active design language, supporting mixed reality and variable refresh rates for immersive interactions.

Voice and Assistant Features

Microsoft's development of voice and assistant features for Windows began with foundational technologies like the Speech Application Programming Interface (SAPI), introduced in as a standard framework for integrating and text-to-speech capabilities into applications, though it lacked a distinct project codename.) This enabled developers to build voice-enabled software, laying the groundwork for later OS integrations such as dictation tools in and beyond. In 2007, acquired , a provider of voice-enabled services, for approximately $800 million to enhance its speech technologies; post-acquisition, Tellme's platform was integrated into for mobile and commands, accelerating the evolution of within the ecosystem without assigning specific codenames to the merged projects. A pivotal advancement came with the Cortana virtual assistant, developed under the internal codename "Cortana"—inspired by the AI character from Microsoft's Halo video game franchise—and launched in 2014 as part of Windows Phone 8.1. Originally intended solely as a development moniker, public enthusiasm via user petitions led Microsoft to retain "Cortana" as the official name. Leveraging Tellme's voice infrastructure alongside Bing search, Cortana provided proactive assistance, reminders, and natural language interactions, debuting "Hey Cortana" wake-word activation for hands-free use. Its integration extended to Windows 10 in 2015, where it became a core Search and task-handling feature, supporting voice commands across desktop apps and evolving through updates like the 2015 "Notebook" personalization system tied to user interests. By Windows 10 version 1607 (Anniversary Update), Cortana gained deeper ecosystem ties, controlling smart home devices and calendar management via voice. In subsequent Windows iterations, voice features advanced toward AI-driven assistants. Windows 10's voice mode, part of Cortana's expansion, utilized more natural TTS voices for synthesis, though without a unique codename for the integration itself. Cortana's role diminished over time, with standalone support ending in 2023, paving the way for Copilot in Windows 11 (2023 release). Copilot, powered by large language models, later incorporated voice modalities, enabling conversational interactions. By 2025, Microsoft introduced "Mico"—a customizable, animated character serving as the visual and auditory interface for Copilot's voice mode—enhancing expressiveness in responses across over 50 languages and tying into Windows 11's "Hey Copilot" activation for seamless OS control. This development reflects ongoing ties to Windows updates, such as the 2025 Copilot enhancements for real-time voice navigation and multi-turn dialogues, building on SAPI's legacy while prioritizing privacy through on-device processing where possible.

Server and Database Software

SQL Server Releases

Microsoft's SQL Server, a , has undergone numerous development cycles, each assigned an internal codename prior to its official release. These codenames often drew inspiration from geographical or natural features, reflecting the evolution of the product from its early days as a with Sybase to a standalone offering. The codenames trace the progression of key features, including enhancements to (T-SQL), the proprietary extension of SQL used in SQL Server, which has incorporated advanced querying, , and integration capabilities over time. Early releases marked a shift toward broader accessibility and performance improvements. SQL Server 7.0, codenamed Sphinx, was released on November 27, 1998, introducing significant T-SQL advancements such as user-defined functions and indexed views, which improved query optimization and data manipulation efficiency. This version emphasized self-tuning capabilities, reducing administrative overhead while supporting larger datasets through better scalability. The subsequent iteration, SQL Server 2000 under the codename Shiloh, launched on August 23, 2000, building on Sphinx with T-SQL extensions for XML support and enhanced error handling. It introduced features like the XML and FOR XML clause, enabling seamless integration of structured data with web technologies, and marked SQL Server's first 64-bit support on Windows. These updates solidified T-SQL's role in enterprise applications by facilitating more robust data exchange and transaction processing. Mid-period developments focused on integration with emerging technologies. SQL Server 2005, codenamed , arrived on November 7, 2005, and revolutionized T-SQL by incorporating (CLR) integration, allowing .NET code to run directly within the database for complex computations. Additional T-SQL enhancements included recursive common table expressions (CTEs) and the XML data type for native XML storage and querying, enhancing SQL Server's suitability for and web services. SQL Server 2008, codenamed Katmai, was released on August 6, 2008, advancing T-SQL with the MERGE statement for efficient upsert operations and the DATE and TIME data types for precise temporal handling. These features, combined with spatial data types, expanded T-SQL's applicability to geographic information systems and streamlined scenarios. The release emphasized always-on and policy-based management, further evolving SQL Server's enterprise-grade reliability. SQL Server 2008 R2, codenamed Kilimanjaro, followed on April 20, 2010, with T-SQL refinements including window functions like ROW_NUMBER() and RANK() for advanced analytics without procedural code. It introduced multi-server administration and integration, enhancing T-SQL's extensibility for automation and reporting in distributed environments. This version prioritized , integrating seamlessly with tools like Reporting Services. Later releases continued this trajectory of T-SQL maturation. SQL Server 2012, initially codenamed , shipped on March 5, 2012, adding columnstore indexes to T-SQL for accelerated data warehousing queries and the OFFSET-FETCH clause for in result sets. These enhancements boosted query performance by up to 10x in analytical workloads, underscoring SQL Server's focus on processing. SQL Server 2014, codenamed Hekaton, was released on April 1, 2014, introducing in-memory OLTP with natively compiled stored procedures in T-SQL for high-performance , along with enhanced query optimizer support for . These features improved for memory-optimized tables, reducing lock contention in high-throughput scenarios. SQL Server 2016, codenamed SQL16, launched on June 1, 2016, adding support to T-SQL with functions like JSON_VALUE and FOR JSON, enabling efficient storage and querying of , and introducing Query Store for performance troubleshooting. It also expanded temporal tables for system-versioned data history. SQL Server 2017, codenamed , released on October 2, 2017, brought Python integration via services, allowing T-SQL to invoke Python scripts for advanced analytics, and added graph data processing with MATCH and shortest path queries for relational graph features. SQL Server 2019, codenamed , arrived on November 4, 2019, enhancing T-SQL with approximate query processing using APPROX_COUNT_DISTINCT and big data cluster support for distributed querying across HDFS, integrating SQL with Spark for . It also introduced intelligent query processing with adaptive joins. SQL Server 2022, codenamed Dallas, released on November 16, 2022, advanced T-SQL with ledger tables for tamper-evident data integrity using blockchain-like features, and improved JSON support with JSON_OBJECT and JSON_ARRAY functions, alongside Query Store enhancements for ledger inspection. These bolstered security and compliance in distributed environments.
Codenamed ReleaseOfficial NameRelease YearKey T-SQL Advancements
SphinxSQL Server 7.01998User-defined functions, indexed views for query optimization
ShilohSQL Server 20002000XML support (FOR XML, XML data type), enhanced error handling
YukonSQL Server 20052005CLR integration, recursive CTEs, native XML querying
KatmaiSQL Server 20082008MERGE statement, DATE/TIME types, spatial data support
KilimanjaroSQL Server 2008 R22010Window functions (ROW_NUMBER, RANK), PowerShell extensibility
DenaliSQL Server 20122012Columnstore indexes, OFFSET-FETCH for pagination
HekatonSQL Server 20142014In-memory OLTP, natively compiled stored procedures, cardinality estimation
SQL16SQL Server 20162016JSON functions (JSON_VALUE, FOR JSON), Query Store, temporal tables
HelsinkiSQL Server 20172017Python integration, graph queries (MATCH), machine learning services
SeattleSQL Server 20192019Approximate queries, intelligent query processing, big data clusters
DallasSQL Server 20222022Ledger tables, enhanced JSON functions, Query Store for ledgers

Exchange and Other Servers

, Microsoft's flagship product for enterprise , calendaring, contacts, and , has utilized various codenames during its development phases, each marking significant advancements in server architecture, role separation, and to support thousands of users per server through features like clustering, replication, and load balancing. These evolutions have enabled flexible deployments, from single-server setups for small organizations to multi-role, multi-site configurations for global enterprises, with timelines spanning from the mid-1990s to ongoing updates as of 2025. Early releases emphasized integration with domains, while later versions aligned with and cloud-hybrid models, prioritizing high availability via database availability groups and continuous backup.
CodenamesAssociated ProductRelease TimelineKey Features and Scalability Notes
TouchdownExchange Server 4.0Early 1996Improved performance over prior versions; supported up to 500 mailboxes per server with enhanced directory synchronization for scalable messaging in workgroup environments.
Osmium (aka Oz)Exchange Server 5.5Late 1997Integrated Internet protocols including LDAP v3 and NNTP; expanded store database to 16 GB per database and supported up to 5 databases per server, enabling better scalability for Internet-connected organizations.
Platinum (aka Pt)Exchange 2000 ServerNovember 2000Full Active Directory integration with native mode support; introduced front-end/back-end architecture for load distribution, active-active clustering for high availability, and scalability to over 1,000 mailboxes per server with mixed-mode compatibility.
Titanium (aka Ti)Exchange Server 2003September 2003Refined server roles including bridgehead for routing; added real-time collaboration via Exchange Instant Messaging and volume shadow copy for backups; supported up to 5 storage groups and improved mobile access, scaling to enterprise levels with 64-bit preview.
E12Exchange Server 2007December 2006Strict role-based deployment (Mailbox, Client Access, Unified Messaging, Hub Transport, Edge Transport); 64-bit only for enhanced performance; local continuous replication and standby continuous replication for disaster recovery, supporting scalability to millions of mailboxes across clustered setups.
E14Exchange Server 2010November 2010Database availability groups (DAGs) for high availability without shared storage; introduced self-service calendar management and personalization; supported up to 100 databases per server with improved mobile push notifications, scaling to 50,000+ mailboxes in multi-site DAGs.
E15Exchange Server 2013January 2013Cloud-ready architecture with OAuth support; in-place eDiscovery and archiving; site mailboxes for SharePoint integration; supported up to 50 databases per server with multi-factor authentication, enabling hybrid deployments for tens of thousands of users.
Exchange 15.1Exchange Server 2016October 2015Multi-factor authentication native support; compliance center for auditing; expanded search with Exchange Online integration; supported up to 100 databases per server in DAGs, scaling to enterprise hybrid environments with improved search federation.
Exchange 15.2Exchange Server 2019October 2018Enhanced security with TLS 1.2 enforcement; improved calendar sharing; auto-remediation for malware; supported up to 100 databases per server with larger DAG limits (up to 16 nodes), facilitating on-premises scalability up to 500,000 mailboxes.
vNextExchange Server Subscription EditionJuly 2025Subscription-based model with perpetual code equivalent to 2019 CU15; enhanced security updates and hybrid features; supports Windows Server 2022/2025; maintains DAG scalability for large enterprises with ongoing feature updates via CUs.
Beyond Exchange, other Microsoft enterprise server products have employed codenames to denote innovations in collaboration, hosting, and remote access, often focusing on web-based scalability and integration with broader server ecosystems like . For instance, Portal Server 2001, codenamed Tahoe, was released to manufacturing in March 2001, offering a centralized portal for document libraries, search indexing, and user personalization, with scalability for intranets serving up to 1,000 concurrent users through topic-based navigation and integration with Exchange for unified communications. Subsequent releases, such as the 2010 version (internally referred to as version 14), built on this by introducing managed metadata and social features, enabling site collections to scale to tens of thousands of documents per library with fast search and claims-based authentication for secure, distributed deployments. Dublin served as the codename for a distributed platform, which evolved into components of Windows Server AppFabric released in 2010, providing persistent hosting for (WCF) and (WF) services alongside distributed caching (from the codename), allowing scalable web applications to handle high-throughput scenarios like session state management across server farms without single points of failure. This technology supported enterprise timelines by bridging on-premises and cloud environments, with auto-scaling capabilities for workloads exceeding 100,000 requests per second in production. Hydra was the development codename for the Terminal Server edition of Server 4.0, released in 1998, which introduced multi-session capabilities allowing up to 255 concurrent remote users to access a shared server environment, significantly improving resource efficiency and scalability for thin-client deployments in call centers and remote offices compared to single-user NT setups. This laid groundwork for modern , emphasizing centralized management and load balancing across multiple terminal servers.

Development Tools and Frameworks

Visual Studio Editions

Visual Studio editions, Microsoft's flagship (IDE) for , have historically been developed under codenames inspired by locations in the region of the . These codenames were used during the pre-release phases to facilitate internal communication and community previews, often tied to evolving features like enhanced , IntelliSense, and integration with the .NET Framework for building Windows applications, web services, and more. The IDE's evolution emphasized tighter coupling with Microsoft's ecosystem, including .NET runtime support, to streamline developer workflows from code editing to deployment. Early editions laid the foundation for the IDE's multi-language support. Visual Studio 97, codenamed Boston after the Massachusetts city, was released on March 19, 1997, and marked Microsoft's first attempt to unify tools like Visual Basic, Visual C++, and Visual FoxPro into a single environment compatible with Windows 95 and NT 4.0. It predated the .NET Framework, focusing on COM-based development and introducing shared project management features, though lacking modern .NET integration. Subsequent updates culminated in Visual Studio 6.0 (codenamed Aspen), released in 1998, which added improved Visual Basic 6.0 support and better ActiveX integration but still operated outside the .NET ecosystem until later versions. The transition to .NET-centric development accelerated with Everett, the codename for Visual Studio .NET 2003, released on April 24, 2003. This edition integrated with .NET Framework 1.1, enabling full support for web applications and data access, while enhancing XML editing and server debugging capabilities for enterprise-scale projects. Everett represented a pivotal evolution, shifting from unmanaged code dominance to managed .NET assemblies, with improved project organization and deployment tools that reduced build times for distributed teams. Modern editions continued this trajectory with Whidbey for 2005, released on November 7, 2005, which deeply integrated .NET Framework 2.0 features like generics and partial classes, alongside IDE advancements such as deployment and advanced refactoring tools. Whidbey emphasized productivity through better code navigation and unit testing integration via the new Visual Studio Team System edition. Following this, Orcas, codenamed for , powered 2008, released on November 19, 2007, and aligned with .NET Framework 3.5 to support queries, WCF services, and WPF user interfaces, evolving the IDE with multi-targeting for backward compatibility and enhanced architecture validation. A significant leap in compiler technology came with the Roslyn project, the codename for the open-source .NET Compiler Platform introduced in 2015 (version 14.0), released on July 20, 2015. Roslyn replaced the legacy compilers for C# and , providing APIs for code analysis, diagnostics, and code generation, which enabled real-time IntelliSense, light bulbs for quick actions, and extensibility for third-party tools. This integration with .NET Framework 4.6 and later versions transformed the IDE into a more dynamic environment, supporting asynchronous programming and cross-platform development previews, while maintaining compatibility with prior .NET releases. Subsequent iterations, starting from 2015, built on Roslyn for ongoing enhancements like code fixes and refactoring, solidifying its role in modern .NET workflows.

.NET Framework Versions

The .NET Framework, Microsoft's development platform for Windows applications, evolved through successive versions, each typically associated with an internal codename during its development phase. These codenames facilitated coordinated work across teams on the runtime, class libraries, and supporting infrastructure. The framework's foundational element is the (CLR), a that handles code execution, , , and for managed code written in languages like C# and VB.NET. The CLR ensures and garbage collection, enabling robust application development. Initial releases laid the groundwork for the ecosystem. .NET Framework 1.0 launched on February 13, 2002, introducing the CLR version 1.0 and core libraries for web, desktop, and console applications. This version marked Microsoft's shift toward managed code environments, supporting features like and . A minor update, .NET Framework 1.1, followed on April 30, 2003, without a distinct codename, enhancing support for mobile devices and ASP.NET improvements while retaining CLR 1.1. Major advancements came with .NET Framework 2.0, codenamed Whidbey and released on November 7, 2005. This iteration significantly expanded the CLR to , adding generics, anonymous methods, and partial classes to boost developer productivity and performance. It also introduced foundational technologies like Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) precursors and improved for data access. Subsequent versions built incrementally: .NET Framework 3.0 (November 6, 2006) integrated WPF, (WCF), and atop the 2.0 CLR, while .NET Framework 3.5, codenamed Orcas and released on November 19, 2007, added (LINQ) and REST support for WCF, maintaining CLR 2.0 but enhancing library extensibility. The .NET Framework 4.0 series represented a pivot toward modernization, with version 4.0 codenamed Dev10 and released on April 12, 2010, alongside a redesigned CLR version 4.0. Key enhancements included dynamic language runtime support, improved parallelism via Task Parallel Library, and better code contracts for reliability. Later updates like 4.5 (August 15, 2012), 4.6 (July 20, 2015), and up to 4.8.1 (August 9, 2022) focused on performance tuning, asynchronous programming patterns, and Windows integration, all using the mature CLR 4.0 without new codenames. These versions emphasized , with the CLR providing consistent runtime services across releases.
VersionPrimary CodenamesRelease DateCLR Version
1.0(None)February 13, 20021.0.3705
1.1(None)April 30, 20031.1.4322
2.0WhidbeyNovember 7, 20052.0.50727
3.0(None)November 6, 20062.0.50727
3.5OrcasNovember 19, 20072.0.50727
4.0Dev10April 12, 20104.0.30319
4.5–4.8.1(None)2012–20224.0.30319
In 2019, Microsoft announced a unification strategy, culminating in .NET 5 (released November 10, 2020), which merged .NET Framework and the cross-platform .NET Core into a single .NET platform without traditional codenames. Subsequent releases like .NET 6 (November 8, 2021), .NET 7 (November 8, 2022), .NET 8 (November 14, 2023), and .NET 9 (November 12, 2024) continue this approach, focusing on cloud-native development, performance optimizations, and broader OS support, while the legacy .NET Framework remains available for Windows-specific apps. The transition preserved the CLR's role but extended it to a unified runtime across platforms.

Programming Languages and Compilers

Microsoft has developed and enhanced several programming languages, assigning codenames to projects during their initial phases to facilitate internal development and testing before public release. These efforts focus on creating accessible, productive languages for Windows and .NET ecosystems, with evolution driven by needs for object-oriented features, interoperability, and modern paradigms like async programming. Visual Basic, introduced as a rapid application development tool, began with version 1.0 under the codename Thunder. Released in May 1991 alongside , it integrated a with a drag-and-drop forms designer, revolutionizing GUI application creation for non-expert developers by allowing without low-level calls. The language evolved significantly over the decade, culminating in Visual Basic 6.0 in June 1998, which added support, improved data binding, and enhanced COM integration for building scalable enterprise applications. Classic Visual Basic emphasized simplicity and visual tools, influencing millions of applications before transitioning to .NET-based versions. C#, Microsoft's flagship object-oriented language, emerged in the late 1990s to address Java-like needs within the .NET ecosystem, with initial development under the codename COOL (standing for C-like Object Oriented Language). First released in February 2002 with .NET Framework 1.0, it featured strong typing, garbage collection, and seamless interoperability with other .NET languages. Key language features include classes, interfaces, delegates, and from version 1.0, evolving to generics and iterators in 2.0 (November 2005), for query expressions in 3.0 (November 2007), and dynamic typing in 4.0 (April 2010). C# was submitted to in April 2000 and standardized as ECMA-334 in December 2002, with ISO/IEC 23270 adoption in 2003; subsequent updates like C# 5.0 (async/await in 2012) and in later versions (e.g., C# 8.0 in 2019) reflect ongoing refinements for concurrency, safety, and expressiveness. The language's design prioritizes readability and productivity, with over 13 major versions by 2024 establishing it as a cornerstone for web, desktop, and cloud development. The Roslyn project represents a pivotal advancement in compiler technology for both C# and Visual Basic .NET. Codenamed Roslyn, it reimplements the compilers in managed code, exposing them as extensible APIs for code analysis, refactoring, and diagnostics. Announced at PDC 2011 and open-sourced on GitHub in April 2014 under the .NET Foundation, Roslyn enables tools like IntelliSense and enables third-party extensions, fostering an ecosystem of analyzers and source generators. Integrated into Visual Studio 2015, it supports incremental compilation and scripting, enhancing developer productivity while maintaining compatibility with existing codebases. Roslyn's architecture, detailed in Microsoft's whitepaper, separates parsing, binding, and emission phases for modular reuse.
CodenameLanguage/VersionRelease YearKey Notes
Thunder 1.01991Pioneered visual forms designer; integrated with Windows event model.
COOLEarly C#2000 (internal)Prototype for object-oriented features; evolved into standardized C# 1.0.
RoslynC# and VB.NET Compilers2014 (open-source)Managed-code compilers with APIs for tooling; powers modern .NET development.
These languages and compilers depend on the .NET runtime for execution, linking syntax innovations to broader framework capabilities.

Productivity and Office Software

Office Suite Releases

Microsoft Office suite releases have historically been developed under internal codenames, often reflecting evolutionary bundling of applications and cross-suite innovations. Early iterations focused on integrating core productivity tools for Windows, bundling Word 6.0, Excel 5.0, and PowerPoint 4.0 in Office 4.2 in 1994. This version marked a shift toward 32-bit compatibility in select components, enhancing performance on Windows 3.1. Office 95 was released in 1995 as the first suite optimized for Windows 95, including Word 7.0, Excel 7.0, PowerPoint 7.0, and Access 7.0, emphasizing 32-bit architecture and improved interoperability. Office 2000, developed under the codename Office 9, arrived in 1999 with version 9.0, introducing Active Document technology for web integration and the Microsoft Office Clipboard for multi-application data sharing. In the 2000s, Microsoft adopted a numerical codename system aligned with internal version numbers for major suite updates, streamlining development across bundled applications. Office XP, codenamed Office 10, was released in 2001 with improved stability and activation features. Office 2003, codenamed Office 11, launched in 2003 and featured XML-based file formats for better data exchange, along with improved collaboration tools like shared workspaces. This release solidified the suite's enterprise focus, supporting Windows XP and Server 2003. Office 2007, codenamed Office 12, represented a significant redesign with the introduction of the Ribbon interface—a tabbed, contextual user experience that replaced traditional menus and toolbars across the suite. Released in 2007, it also debuted the Office Open XML format as the default, enabling easier integration with web services and reducing file sizes by up to 50% compared to binary formats. The numerical sequence continued with Office 2010, codenamed Office 14 (skipping 13 due to superstition), which built on the by adding a backstage view for file management and enhanced customization options. Released in 2010, it improved performance through 64-bit support and introduced co-authoring features for real-time collaboration in Word and PowerPoint. Office 2013, under Office 15, further emphasized touch interfaces and cloud readiness, while Office 2016, codenamed Office 16, integrated deeply with (formerly Office 365), launching in 2016 with native real-time co-authoring, synchronization, and advanced analytics via Power BI integration. This version marked the suite's full pivot to hybrid cloud-desktop workflows, with ongoing updates through subscriptions enabling perpetual feature evolution.
ReleaseCodenameKey YearNotable Suite-Wide Features
Office 4.2—199432-bit component support, basic bundling of Word, Excel, PowerPoint
Office 95—1995Full 32-bit suite for , improved stability
Office 2000Office 91999Web integration, shared clipboard across apps
Office XPOffice 102001Improved stability,
Office 2003Office 112003XML file support, collaboration workspaces
Office 2007Office 122007Ribbon interface, Open XML default format
Office 2010Office 142010Backstage view, initial co-authoring
Office 2016Office 162016Cloud co-authoring, integration
Cloud integration timelines accelerated with Office 365's launch in 2011, providing subscription-based access to suite features, evolving into seamless synchronization by Office 16 where documents auto-save to and support multi-device editing. This shift reduced on-premises dependencies, with over 345 million paid seats by 2023 emphasizing scalability.

Individual Office Applications

, one of the flagship applications in the suite, saw its initial Windows version developed under the codename Opus. Released in 1989 as Word for Windows 1.0, Opus marked Microsoft's shift toward graphical user interfaces, building on earlier MS-DOS-based iterations like Word, and it gained significant traction following the launch of in 1990, which improved compatibility and market adoption. This version introduced features such as editing and mouse-driven operations, aligning closely with the emerging Windows ecosystem to enhance for creation and formatting. Microsoft PowerPoint originated outside Microsoft, developed by the startup Forethought under the codename Presenter for its 1.0 release in 1987, initially for Macintosh systems. The software focused on leveraging advancements in graphics processing to produce overhead transparencies, 35mm slides, and later support for video projectors, emphasizing visual communication tools for business presentations. Microsoft acquired Forethought in 1988 for approximately $14 million—its first major software acquisition—integrating Presenter into the Office lineup and renaming it PowerPoint while expanding it to Windows platforms. By the mid-1990s, PowerPoint 95 introduced 32-bit architecture compatibility with Windows 95, improved multimedia integration, and enhanced slide transitions to support more dynamic presentations. Microsoft Excel's early development emphasized spreadsheet innovations, evolving from the MS-DOS-based to a Windows-native application, with version alignments timed to major OS releases like for better graphical formula handling and charting. While specific codenames for individual Excel releases are less documented in public records compared to other apps, its progression highlighted app-specific advancements such as macro support in Excel 2.0 (1992) and 3D charting in Excel 4.0 (1992), which solidified its role in and within the broader ecosystem.
ApplicationVersionCodenameKey Innovations and Alignment
Word1.0 (Windows, 1989)Opus editing; aligned with for GUI adoption.
PowerPoint1.0 (1987)PresenterGraphics for transparencies/slides; pre-acquisition Mac focus, later Windows port.
PowerPoint95 (1995)—32-bit support, multimedia enhancements; synced with launch.

Gaming and Entertainment Hardware

Xbox Consoles

The original Xbox console, Microsoft's entry into the sixth generation of video game systems, was developed under the codename DirectX Box, reflecting its heavy reliance on Microsoft's DirectX multimedia API for graphics and audio processing. Launched in November 2001, it featured an Intel Pentium III processor clocked at 733 MHz, a custom NVIDIA NV2A graphics processing unit capable of 125 million polygons per second, and 64 MB of unified DDR SDRAM memory. This hardware configuration positioned the DirectX Box as a powerful rival to the PlayStation 2 and GameCube, emphasizing online gaming capabilities through Xbox Live. Succeeding it, the , codenamed during development, marked Microsoft's second-generation console and introduced significant advancements in multimedia integration. Released in November 2005, the utilized a custom triple-core PowerPC processor ( CPU) running at 3.2 GHz, paired with an ATI Xenos GPU at 500 MHz delivering 240 GFLOPS of performance, and 512 MB of GDDR3 memory shared between system and graphics. The console's architecture supported high-definition gaming and became renowned for its Xbox Live service, which expanded to include digital downloads and social features. The third-generation Xbox One family, with the original model internally referred to as Durango, shifted focus toward an all-in-one entertainment system encompassing gaming, TV, and streaming. Unveiled and launched in November 2013, the original incorporated an eight-core CPU at 1.75 GHz, an GPU with 1.31 TFLOPS of compute power, and 8 GB of DDR3 RAM. Its design emphasized cloud integration via Azure and multimedia apps, with the console supporting 4K Blu-ray playback and sensor compatibility for motion controls. The S, codenamed , followed in August 2016 as a slimmer revision with the same core specs but added support for 4K video playback, HDR, and an integrated . The high-end X, codenamed Project Scorpio, launched in November 2017 with upgraded hardware including an eight-core CPU at 2.3 GHz, an GPU delivering 6 TFLOPS, and 12 GB of GDDR5 memory, enabling native 4K gaming and enhanced VRAM bandwidth of 326 GB/s. Microsoft's fourth-generation consoles, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, were developed under the overarching codename Project Scarlett, representing a family of hardware optimized for next-generation performance and . Launched in November 2020, the Series X features a custom eight-core Zen 2 CPU at 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz with SMT), a 12 TFLOPS GPU with 52 compute units at 1.825 GHz, and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory. The more affordable Series S variant shares the same CPU but uses a 4 TFLOPS GPU with 20 compute units at 1.565 GHz and 10 GB of GDDR6, targeting gaming. These systems introduced features like Quick Resume for seamless game switching and Smart Delivery for optimized content across generations.

Gaming Accessories and Peripherals

Microsoft's gaming accessories and peripherals, particularly those for the Xbox ecosystem, have been developed under various codenames to enhance user interaction, immersion, and customization. These include controllers with innovative ergonomic designs and feedback mechanisms, as well as motion-sensing devices that enable controller-free . Key examples focus on foundational hardware that paired with consoles to deliver advanced input options. The original Xbox controller, codenamed Duke, was Microsoft's first major foray into dedicated gaming peripherals, released in 2001 alongside the Xbox console. Designed for broad accessibility, it featured oversized grips, dual analog sticks, and vibration motors for haptic feedback, addressing the needs of a wide range of hand sizes despite criticism for its bulkiness. The Duke's development emphasized compatibility with the original Xbox's DirectX-based architecture, setting a precedent for subsequent controllers with evolving features like wireless connectivity introduced in later revisions. For the Xbox One era, the standard wireless controller incorporated Impulse Triggers, a haptic feedback system allowing independent vibration in each trigger to simulate actions like weapon recoil or environmental effects, enhancing immersion in supported games. This feature debuted with the in 2013 and remains compatible across Xbox Series X|S, with timelines extending support to Windows PCs via from 2016 onward. The Elite series, launched in November 2015 without a public codename, built on this by offering premium variants like the , featuring removable analog sticks, adjustable trigger locks, and up to 40 hours of battery life through customizable paddles and profiles. Prototypes for the Elite series explored modular designs and enhanced durability, influencing iterations such as the Series 2 in 2019, which added charging docks and refined thumbstick tension for competitive play. Another landmark peripheral, the motion sensor, originated under the codename Project Natal, announced at as a revolutionary controller-free using depth-sensing cameras, infrared projectors, and microphones for and voice recognition. Released in November 2010 for , it supported full-body tracking and sold over 8 million units in 60 days, enabling experiences in games like . The version, bundled in 2013, integrated improved video capture and always-on functionality, though it was discontinued in 2017 amid shifting priorities to other input methods; with was limited to specific titles via adapters starting in 2015.

Cloud and Online Services

Azure Platform Components

The development of Microsoft Azure began with Project Red Dog, the internal codename for the original Windows Azure platform, which was announced on October 27, 2008, at the Professional Developers Conference and commercially launched on February 1, 2010. This project introduced core cloud infrastructure components, including virtual machines for compute, blob storage for unstructured data, and table storage for structured data, enabling developers to build and scale applications without managing physical hardware. Project Red Dog emphasized automatic scaling features, such as dynamic allocation of virtual machine instances based on demand, which laid the foundation for Azure's elastic compute capabilities. Project Sydney served as the codename for Azure Connect, a hybrid connectivity service that extended Azure's platform to on-premises environments, announced in November 2009 and reaching general availability in October 2011. It facilitated secure IPsec-based connections between Azure virtual machines and local networks, supporting features like role-based access and endpoint management for seamless integration in enterprise scenarios. This component enhanced Azure's scaling by allowing workloads to burst from on-premises to resources during peak times, with initial support for up to 200 endpoints per deployment. Ibiza was the codename for the Azure Portal, Microsoft's unified management interface for the platform, which entered preview in late 2014 and achieved general availability on December 2, 2015. The portal provided a responsive, for provisioning and monitoring Azure components, including virtual machines, storage accounts, and scaling rules, replacing the earlier Windows Azure Management Portal. Key features included customizable dashboards for resource visualization and integration with Azure Resource Manager for declarative deployments, enabling automated scaling policies based on metrics like CPU utilization. Project Natick represented an experimental codename for Microsoft's underwater datacenter prototype, initiated in 2014 with the first proof-of-concept deployment in August 2015 off the coast. The project aimed to test sustainable cooling and deployment in ocean environments, deploying a sealed pod with 12 server racks containing 864 servers in the second phase off in June 2018, which operated until retrieval in September 2020. Natick demonstrated reduced failure rates—eight times lower than land-based datacenters—due to nitrogen-filled, pressure-resistant enclosures and natural cooling, supporting Azure's scaling through efficient, low-maintenance infrastructure. The initiative was discontinued in 2024 after proving viability for coastal cloud expansion but not advancing to production.

Search and Other Web Services

Microsoft's search initiatives have featured several notable codenames, particularly in the evolution from earlier web search services to more integrated consumer experiences. The codename Kumo, meaning "cloud" or "spider" in Japanese, was used for the internal development of what became Bing, Microsoft's revamp of the Live Search engine launched in June 2009. This project aimed to improve search relevance and user experience through enhanced decision engines and visual previews, marking a strategic shift to compete more directly with Google. The initial public release under Kumo was internally referred to as Kiev, focusing on core search functionalities before the full Bing branding. Early efforts in mobile search were tied to Project Pink, the codename for Microsoft's Kin smartphones announced in 2010, which integrated Bing as the default to deliver social networking and web services on mobile devices. These devices, codenamed internally as and Pure, emphasized seamless search and content sharing, representing an early push for mobile-optimized search experiences before the broader [Windows Phone](/page/Windows Phone) ecosystem. Although the Kin line was short-lived and discontinued later that year, it laid groundwork for Bing's mobile integrations. Beyond core search, Microsoft's consumer web services included codenamed projects for media and synchronization. Argo served as the codename for the original digital media player and its associated Zune Marketplace, an online store for music and content launched in 2006, which allowed wireless downloads and sharing integrated with . This platform evolved to support broader entertainment services before transitioning to Xbox Music in 2012. Live Mesh, initially developed under the codename Horizon, was a file synchronization and remote access service introduced in 2008 as part of the Windows Live suite, enabling users to access files across devices via the cloud. Rebranded from earlier tools like FolderShare, it integrated with MSN services for seamless data sharing and was later succeeded by OneDrive features in 2013. These services have evolved significantly, with Bing incorporating AI enhancements like ChatGPT integration by 2023 and deeper ties to Windows ecosystems, such as default search in Edge and Cortana. By 2025, Microsoft retired organizational search features in Bing.com effective March 31 and announced the sunset of Bing Search APIs by August 11, shifting focus to Azure AI integrations for developer tools while maintaining consumer web services. MSN portals, originally codenamed Marvel for their classic interface, continue as content aggregators with Bing-powered search, reflecting ongoing refinements in user-facing online experiences.
Codenamed ProjectFinal Product/ServiceKey Features and Integration
Kumo (Kiev release)BingRevamped search engine with visual aids; integrated into and later Edge browser.
Project Pink (Turtle/Pure)Mobile phones with Bing search; social feeds and Windows integration.
Argo and MarketplaceMedia player and online store; wireless sharing with .
HorizonLive MeshCloud file sync; evolved into with and Windows access.

AI and Emerging Technologies

AI Assistants and Tools

Microsoft's AI assistants and tools have evolved significantly, with several key projects utilizing internal codenames to develop advanced capabilities. One foundational effort was Project Turing, an internal initiative launched to create state-of-the-art language models that integrate with products like Bing and later Copilot, enabling GPT-based functionalities such as conversational AI and content generation. This project focused on leveraging vast web-scale data to build models that power seamless AI interactions across ecosystems, marking a shift toward more intelligent assistant features by the early 2020s. Cortana, Microsoft's early virtual assistant, featured deep integrations with Bing for search and task execution, though specific codenames for these extensions remain limited in public documentation. Initially developed as a Bing-powered tool for voice and text queries, Cortana's Bing ties allowed it to handle requests by pulling real-time search results, a core aspect of its functionality from its debut through its 2023 retirement. These integrations laid groundwork for subsequent AI tools, emphasizing Bing's role in enhancing assistant responsiveness without dedicated extension codenames disclosed beyond Cortana's own development moniker. The transition to modern AI assistants culminated in Copilot, which originated from Bing Chat under the internal codename Sydney in early 2023. Sydney represented an experimental chat mode built on OpenAI's GPT models, integrated into Bing for generative responses, and evolved directly into the broader Copilot suite for productivity tasks. By mid-2023, Copilot expanded to applications, incorporating for features like automated summarization in Word and data insights in Excel, all underpinned by Project Turing's model advancements. From 2023 to 2025, advanced Copilot with targeted AI embeddings in and Windows, focusing on efficient for on-device tasks. In 2025, received an autonomous extension under the codename Project Padawan, an AI coding agent capable of independently handling multi-step development workflows, such as and implementation, while integrating with existing Copilot features for enhanced developer productivity. These developments prioritized scalable, context-aware AI tools, with Project Turing models enabling embeddings that support real-time natural language understanding in Windows environments and suites, achieving up to 30% of 's internal code generation through AI by mid-2025.

Hardware and Mixed Reality Projects

Microsoft's hardware and mixed reality projects encompass a range of innovative devices integrating AI capabilities, from headsets to secure IoT platforms and custom AI accelerators. These initiatives reflect the company's focus on blending physical hardware with advanced to enable immersive experiences and edge intelligence. Key developments include the HoloLens series for mixed reality and Azure Sphere for secured connected devices, alongside recent AI-optimized silicon like the Maia chips. The original HoloLens, a self-contained holographic computer, was developed under the codename Project Baraboo. Announced in 2015, it pioneered untethered mixed reality by projecting holograms into the user's environment using advanced optics and spatial mapping, targeting developers and enterprise applications in fields like design and training. This device laid the foundation for Microsoft's mixed reality ecosystem, emphasizing gesture and voice interactions without external sensors. Its successor, , was internally codenamed during development. Released in 2019, it improved upon the first generation with a wider , enhanced eye-tracking for more natural interactions, and better comfort for prolonged use, while integrating deeper AI for hand-tracking and environmental understanding. Sydney aimed to expand accessibility for industrial applications, such as remote collaboration in manufacturing, and was priced lower at $3,500 to broaden adoption. Production of HoloLens 2 ceased in 2024, with support extending to 2027, signaling a shift toward next-generation prototypes. Microsoft's Surface lineup represents a cornerstone of its non-gaming hardware efforts. The inaugural Surface RT tablet, codenamed Project Georgetown, debuted in 2012 as the company's first foray into consumer-facing ARM-based computing. It featured a 10.6-inch and ran a variant of Windows optimized for touch, aiming to redefine tablet productivity but facing challenges with app compatibility. The Surface Pro, an evolution of the line, was developed under the codename Georgetown X. Launched in 2013, this x86-based hybrid device combined laptop performance with tablet form factor, powered by processors and supporting full Windows applications. It established the 2-in-1 category, influencing subsequent models with iterative improvements in battery life and AI features like facial recognition via Windows Hello. Azure Sphere, an AI-enhanced platform for IoT devices, originated from the research project codenamed 4x4. Initiated in 2014, it addresses security in connected hardware through a custom (the Microsoft Pluton SoC), a Linux-based OS with seven security properties, and cloud services for threat detection. This end-to-end solution enables manufacturers to build secure edge devices for applications like smart appliances. In recent years, has advanced AI-specific hardware with the series. The 100, announced in 2023, is a custom AI accelerator designed for Azure datacenters, optimizing large-scale and for models like those powering Copilot. Fabricated on TSMC's 5nm , it integrates tensor cores for efficient matrix operations, reducing dependency on third-party GPUs. Its successor, 200 (codenamed ), faced production delays to 2026 due to design complexities, aiming to compete with Nvidia's Blackwell architecture in . These chips underscore 's strategy to tailor silicon for AI workloads, with deployments scaling to support enterprise AI by late 2025.
Codenamed ProjectProduct/ReleaseKey FeaturesLaunch Year
Project BarabooHoloLens (1st gen)Holographic projection, spatial mapping, gesture/voice input2016
SydneyEye-tracking, improved FOV, AI hand gestures2019
Project GeorgetownSurface RTARM-based tablet, 10.6" touchscreen, OS2012
Georgetown Xx86 hybrid, full Windows support, pen input2013
4x4Secure IoT OS, Pluton SoC, cloud threat monitoring2018
Maia 100Maia 100 AI Accelerator5nm tensor processing for Azure AI workloads2024
BragaMaia 200 AI AcceleratorNext-gen efficiency for large models (delayed)2026

Miscellaneous Codenames

Discontinued Projects

Microsoft has pursued numerous innovative projects over the years, many of which were ultimately discontinued before reaching the market, often due to shifting priorities, market challenges, or strategic realignments. These canceled initiatives, known by their internal codenames, frequently involved experimental hardware and software concepts that aimed to push boundaries in , social devices, and streaming technology. While some elements were repurposed into successful products, others remained unrealized prototypes. Notable examples include Project Courier, Project Pink (leading to the Kin phones), Project Andromeda, and Project . Project Courier was an early exploration into dual-screen tablet computing, developed as a folding device with two 7-inch touchscreens connected like a , supporting pen input and a central hinge for natural writing and interaction. Initiated around under a secretive team, it featured a custom interface for and , distinct from traditional Windows applications. The project advanced to near-completion by early 2010 but was abruptly canceled in April 2010, as confirmed by executives to the team. Reasons included a strategic pivot toward unifying efforts around tablets and the impending launch of , amid the competitive pressure from Apple's debut in January 2010. Some interface concepts and dual-screen interaction ideas were later evaluated for integration into future products, influencing designs like the Surface line, though no direct lineage was publicly confirmed. Project Pink, the codename for what became the Kin smartphone series, originated from Microsoft's 2008 acquisition of Danger Inc. and aimed at social-networking-focused devices for younger users. Unveiled in April 2010 as Kin One and Kin Two—compact sliders with dedicated social apps, integration, and Verizon exclusivity—the phones launched in May 2010 at prices starting at $50 with contracts. However, they sold poorly due to high costs, limited app ecosystem (lacking a full app store), and competition from and Android devices. Microsoft discontinued the Kin line on June 30, 2010, just 48 days after release, canceling European plans and returning unsold stock. The decision stemmed from underwhelming sales and a broader refocus on as the unified mobile platform. Key team members and technologies, such as the social feed interface, were absorbed into the Windows Phone 7 development, contributing to features in subsequent Lumia devices. Project Andromeda represented Microsoft's ambitious push into foldable, dual-screen hardware in the late 2010s, envisioning a pocketable device with two hinged screens running a modular version of Windows called Windows Core OS. Development began around 2016-2017, with prototypes demonstrated internally by 2018, featuring gesture-based controls and productivity apps optimized for the form factor. The project faced delays due to hardware challenges, software quality issues, and internal debates over its fit within the Windows ecosystem. It was effectively canceled in 2019, as shifted resources away from custom OS efforts following the end of support. Elements of the dual-screen design influenced the 2019 , which launched in 2020 using Android instead, incorporating similar hinge mechanics and app windowing for multitasking. Project Hobart was an attempt to expand Xbox into affordable streaming hardware, codenamed for a compact streaming stick intended to deliver games to TVs without a full console. Planned for a 2016 reveal at , the $99 device would have supported cloud-based game streaming and media apps, building on Microsoft's ecosystem. Cancellation occurred later in 2016, reportedly due to last-minute strategic reviews and Microsoft's pattern of scrapping near-complete hardware like the Surface Mini. No specific technologies were salvaged publicly, though the effort aligned with later advancements in , which evolved into a service accessible via browsers and apps by 2020.

Internal Tools and Prototypes

Darwin, the codename for Microsoft's technology, was developed in the mid-1990s as an internal tool to standardize software installation processes, replacing the earlier ACME installer used in products like . This prototype aimed to enable more reliable, component-based installations through MSI files, addressing issues like incomplete setups and dependency management that plagued prior methods. Although initially an internal project, Darwin evolved into the publicly released (msiexec.exe) in 1997, bundled with 4.0, and remains a core component of Windows for application deployment as of 2025. Its design principles influenced subsequent installation frameworks across Microsoft products, promoting modular updates and rollback capabilities that underpin modern tools like the and winget . Nashville served as the codename for an early 1990s Microsoft prototype project intended to integrate web technologies directly into the Windows , effectively merging browsing with traditional file management. Planned as a major update to (codenamed ), it envisioned a "Windows 96" release featuring components, such as embedding content on the desktop and channel bars for feeds. The project was ultimately canceled as a standalone operating system due to development delays and shifting priorities toward broader integration, but its non-released prototypes directly shaped the Windows Desktop Update released in 1997. This update incorporated features into OSR2.5 and laid groundwork for web-enhanced interfaces in (codenamed Memphis), influencing later evolutions like Windows gadgets and live tiles in and beyond. Microsoft Bob, codenamed internally, was a for a simplified, anthropomorphic designed to make accessible to non-technical users by replacing the standard Windows desktop with a virtual "house" populated by cartoon guides and rooms representing applications. Developed as an experimental shell for and early , it emphasized intuitive through personality-driven rather than icons and menus, drawing from internal on consumer-friendly . Released briefly in March 1995 but quickly discontinued due to poor sales and criticism for its overly simplistic and resource-intensive design, Bob never achieved widespread internal adoption and was phased out by 1996. However, its prototype concepts influenced future Microsoft user assistance tools, notably the Office Assistant "Clippy" in , which adopted similar animated guide mechanics, and contributed to broader lessons in balancing accessibility with user control seen in modern interfaces like Cortana and Copilot.

References

  1. https://www.cio.com/article/220210/microsoft-codenames-a-history.html
  2. https://www.neowin.net/news/trivia-tuesday-microsoft-codenames/
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