* Results of Microsoft's survey of customers' directory rollout plans
Last issue’s mention of Active Directory, Active Directory/Application Mode (ADAM) and Microsoft Identity Information Server (MIIS) reminded me that I’d been meaning to draw your attention to some interesting results of a survey Microsoft conducted late last spring. The results were analyzed by the Meta Group and recently published by the analysts firm.
The surveys were conducted among 1,000 businesses of all sizes (with at least 25 client PCs) in the U.S., UK, Germany and Japan and concerned the rate of adoption as well as the schedule for rollout of Active Directory along with a listing of the perceived benefit of the directory system.
According to Meta Group’s Earl Perkins, “With Active Directory, ADAM, MIIS, and related services, Microsoft has gradually provided a pervasive identity infrastructure presence in the enterprise. Active Directory is the foundation of that presence and is as important to Microsoft’s plans for pervasive identity dominance as the Windows XP client is for pervasive desktop dominance.”
The interesting contrast, to me, was the split between those organizations that had completed their rollout of Active Directory and those that had to plans to do so:
Country Completed No Plans
U.S. 31% 38%
U.K. 28% 47%
Germany 28% 53%
Japan 23% 47%
Even if we only look at the largest organizations (greater than 500 desktops), the percentage with no current plans to deploy are surprising – only 14% each in the U.S. and U.K., but 19% in Germany and 41% in Japan.
In all four countries, the reasons given as “barriers” to an Active Directory rollout were the same:
* No need for Active Directory.
* Prefer Novell.
* Use other system/service.
It would appear that the vaunted Microsoft marketing machine hasn’t given Active Directory the attention it deserves. Even in organizations with entrenched eDirectory or iPlanet installations, the use of ADAM can greatly ease the burden of Windows network managers. I’d be interested in hearing from you if you’re running into barriers to a rollout of Active Directory – maybe we can develop our own “marketing plan.”
