Windows .NET Server Beta 3 Provides Foundation for Web Services

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 12, 2001 — Microsoft Corp. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates last night announced in his keynote speech at COMDEX Fall 2001 that Microsoft Corp.’s beta 3 of its next-generation Windows®
server family would be made available to beta testers later this month. The company will be releasing four new servers, including a single-purpose Web server intended to vastly simplify and speed up the processes of configuring and deploying Web sites and front-end Web applications.

The lineup is the next step in the evolution of the Microsoft®
family of powerful server solutions, and is the first to integrate native support for XML Web services and the Microsoft .NET Framework, enabling businesses to efficiently develop powerful Web service applications. The new generation of Windows servers provides the foundation for Microsoft’s platform for Web services based on XML, allowing applications to communicate and share data over the Internet while integrating with a variety of operating systems or programming languages.

“Enabling businesses, suppliers and customers to be transparently Web-connected across services spread among several providers will literally revolutionize the way people communicate and do business on the Internet,” said Cliff Reeves, vice president of the Windows .NET Server Solutions Group at Microsoft. “Beta 3 is the opportunity for developers to begin in earnest to create an entire new generation of business applications based on the .NET vision.”

In beta 3, beta testers will see a powerful application development environment. Microsoft is advancing its integrated development platform by adding native support for industry-standard protocols such as XML, SOAP, WSDL and UDDI. Combined with the integrated Microsoft .NET Framework and other application services, the new Windows servers will enable developers to create powerful Web sites, services and applications with fast time to market.

The family of new Windows servers has been optimized to address the unique ways in which customers deploy servers to support their business needs. It comprises the following:

  • Windows .NET Web Server. Microsoft’s new offering built for front-end Web serving and hosting, providing a platform for the rapid development and deployment of Web services, sites and applications

  • Windows .NET Standard Server. Tailored to meet the specific needs of smaller businesses and departmental file-and-print environments, with powerful server capabilities and ease of use and configuration

  • Windows .NET Enterprise Server. Extraordinary enterprise-platform capability with complete support for business-wide computing infrastructures, line-of-business applications and e-commerce transactions

  • Windows .NET Datacenter Server. Microsoft’s continuing advancement of the Datacenter Program, designed to provide the highest levels of scalability and reliability, enabling critical solutions for databases; ERP; high-volume, real-time transaction processing; and server consolidation

“Windows 2000 servers have achieved tremendous acceptance in the marketplace as the reliable, agile enterprise platform of choice for business, and we are building on that with the .NET Framework, improved manageability features, enhanced security and a number of powerful new technologies for communication and collaboration,” Reeves said.

This next-generation Windows server family will deliver expanded communication and collaboration services; enhanced multimedia services; and a new file-system recovery tool. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Services integrates a Session Initiation Protocol designed for real-time communications and a set of APIs to support development of RTC solutions such as call centers applications. Windows Media (TM) Services meet the needs of enterprise customers looking to deliver richer and more immediate communications with employees, partners and customers, while at the same time reducing overall company expenditure. In addition, users with the new file-systems recovery capability can view the contents of network folders as they formerly existed and easily restore deleted files from server storage without the help of a system administrator.

Microsoft’s latest server family offers enhanced security without complicated configurations for mission-critical applications and enhanced clustering support and performance for high-end applications, including new 64-bit support for large memory intensive processing. Web Servers will come with an improved process model that supports application isolation, delivering even greater reliability and scalability. For more information, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows.netserver/ .

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.

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