Microsoft In New Territory

Expected to ship during the second half of 2002, the two enterprise-class versions of Windows.Net add features that will make high-end Intel servers more competitive with Unix and mainframe servers. The new features, which are expected to be available only in the Enterprise Server and Datacenter Server, include support for Intel's 64-bit Itanium and forthcoming Itanium 2 processor, advanced clustering features, fault-tolerance features, Non-Uniform Memory Access, hot-swap memory and enhanced security via support for public-key Infrastructure (PKI) and Certificate Services.

On another front, Longhorn will incorporate many features found in high-end RISC servers and mainframe-class servers, such as workload management and software-partitioning awareness.

One Unisys ES7000/200 solution provider said Microsoft has cleared one major obstacle,"its reputation for crashes and problems",and has launched the right kinds of programs and partners to be taken seriously against Unix competitors.

"Unisys offers five nines guaranteed uptime with the ES7000. I'm finding a lot of interest in moving to the Intel platform these days," said Kathleen Agid, director of sales at Computer Resolutions, a distributor and solution provider based in Bridgeport, Conn.

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