Microsoft Adds Components to Microsoft BackOffice Server Suite 2.0

Microsoft PressPass – Microsoft Adds Components to Microsoft BackOffice Server Suite 2.0

SAN JOSE, Calif. April 30, 1996 Microsoft Corp. today updated its Microsoft®
BackOffice
™
family of integrated server software to include messaging and groupware, a high-performance Web server and an updated database, all with built-in support for the Internet and intranets.

Microsoft BackOffice Server version 2.0 – a suite of integrated server applications designed for Windows NT®
Server – now contains Microsoft Exchange Server 4.0 and the Microsoft Internet Information Server 1.0, as well as an update to the Microsoft SQL Server
™
6.5 database. These products join the Windows NT Server 3.51 operating system, Systems Management Server 1.1 and SNA Server 2.11. The Microsoft-suggested price of Microsoft BackOffice Server remains unchanged, even with the additional components.

“With the Microsoft BackOffice family, we have set high standards, providing customers with everything they need for intranets,”
said Jim Allchin, senior vice president of the desktop and business systems division at Microsoft Corp.
“With the addition of Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server 6.5 and the Internet Information Server, we now have a complete set of best-of-breed products in an integrated server suite for our customers.”

Microsoft BackOffice Family Supports the Internet and Intranets

The Microsoft BackOffice family is built on Windows NT Server, the only network operating system that is multipurpose, scales from the workgroup to the enterprise and has native Internet support built in. With its native integration between messaging and groupware, database and Web components, customers can combine groupware applications with traditional database systems for both Internet and intranet communications. The integration between the Microsoft BackOffice applications optimizes performance for all components and offers ease of use for system administrators, thus reducing cost of administration.

New components for Microsoft BackOffice Server 2.0 include the following:

  • Microsoft Exchange Server, released in April, is the first integrated messaging and groupware server for Internet and intranet communications.

  • Microsoft Internet Information Server, available since February, is the first Web server integrated with Windows NT Server and allows customers to deploy Web sites within minutes. It performs more than four times faster than other Web servers running on Windows NT Server.

The database within Microsoft BackOffice Server has been upgraded with Microsoft SQL Server 6.5, an enterprise-class database that supports large Internet and intranet Web databases on a low-cost, standard hardware platform.

Pricing and Availability

Microsoft BackOffice 2.0 is being shipped to distributors throughout the United States and Canada. Microsoft BackOffice 2.0 is available in two retail packages – Microsoft BackOffice Client Access License and Microsoft BackOffice Server. The Microsoft BackOffice Client Access License allows a desktop to access any component of the Microsoft BackOffice family running on any server in an organization or the Microsoft BackOffice Server package. In most cases, the Microsoft BackOffice Client Access License is the most cost-effective solution for desktops accessing more than three components of the Microsoft BackOffice family. A five-user license costs approximately $1,309.

Microsoft BackOffice Server 2.0 will be available for approximately $3,508 for a five- user license – the same suggested price as the previous version. Current customers of Microsoft BackOffice Server 1.5 can upgrade to version 2.0 for approximately $769 per server license and approximately $459 for a five-user client access license. Microsoft BackOffice Server must be run on a single machine and may not be split across multiple machines. Customers require both client and server licenses to run Microsoft BackOffice Server. For customers who don’t want to run all the Microsoft BackOffice products on a single server, each of the server components can be licensed individually.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft, BackOffice and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

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