Windows Server 2008 introduces the Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) to allow VPN connections over HTTPS/port 443. SSTP is an alternative for the PPTP or L2TP/IPSec protocols that were available in Windows Server 2003. SSTP is great for reducing the management overhead for maintaining a VPN, as most organizations allow port 443 to pass unhindered through their firewalls. There are far less support calls, much greater accessibility from external networks across proxy firewalls, etc.
Unfortunately, the only operating systems that supported it were Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP1. Not many users are going to have Windows Server 2008 on their laptop and not many more corporate users are going to have Vista given the slow adoption rate. So, the cool SSTP feature looked like it was not going to be all that useful until Vista achieved better adoption.
That changed when Microsoft recently announced that SSTP support will be included in Windows XP SP3. The adoption rate of Windows XP SP3 in the corporate world should be relatively quick, so SSTP will be useful right out of the gate when Windows Server 2008 releases.
