Microsoft plans next release of Windows Datacenter Server

Microsoft Monday said it is planning a release "early" in the first half of 2002 of Windows Datacenter Server Limited Edition, the next edition of its enterprise-aimed operating system.

Windows Datacenter Server has been designed to compete against Unix and other mainframe technologies, according to Microsoft. The new version will be optimized for financial, telecommunication and ISP customer use, according to Microsoft. Potential deployments for the operating system include handling e-commerce transaction processing, online analytical processing and data warehousing and mining, the company said.

The "limited edition" in the product's name refers to its limited sales channel, said Peter Conway, a director in Microsoft's Windows .Net server solutions group. Like its predecessor, Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, Windows Datacenter Server Limited Edition will not be available directly from Microsoft. It will instead be sold through Microsoft's partner hardware vendors, including IBM, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, and Fujitsu.

The new product will not replace Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, which Microsoft released in September 2000 and will continue selling and supporting. It is instead intended to offer more power to high-end enterprise clients, Conway said. Windows Datacenter Server Limited Edition will run on single-server machines with 16 or more processors, according to Microsoft; Windows 2000 Datacenter Server requires eight processors.

One analyst speculated that Microsoft would use this release to expand its Windows Datacenter Server line to appeal to mid-range customers. The software is currently targeted for high-end servers and comes bundled with an array of services. "It's a fairly significant offering, both in what it does and what it costs," said Gartner senior research director John Enck. He estimated that implementations generally cost at least $500,000.

But Microsoft's Conway said the Limited Edition release will be aimed at Microsoft's "highest-end clients." For users who require less firepower than the Datacenter Sever software, Microsoft offers Windows 2000 Advanced Server, Conway said.

Microsoft has committed to a release "early" in the first half of 2002, which could mean quite soon after the new year. "We're very optimistic for the first quarter," Conway said.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.

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