Windows Home Server 2011 was announced in June 2010 and released to the public on April 6, 2011. The "x64" in its name denotes that it is a 64-bit operating system, signifying a leap forward from the 32-bit systems prevalent at the time. This 64-bit architecture allows the operating system to address more RAM, making it more efficient for handling multiple tasks and larger files, which were becoming increasingly common in home networks.