REDMOND, Wash., March 22, 2000 — The Microsoft Ò Windows Ò 2000 operating system provides small businesses with a unique value combination of increased reliability, greater ease of use and Internet-readiness. Customers KeaKilim, ONE/Northwest and ThinkTanksWorldWide.com Inc. (TTWW) and small-business-focused IT consultants such as Custom Built Computers, Hard Drives Northwest Inc. and First Edge Sornson LLC (FES) agree that Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server offer the most benefit for small businesses.
“Small-business owners have told us they need technology that delivers the best overall value to increase user efficiency and help their businesses succeed,”
said Keith White, director of marketing at Microsoft Corp.
“Small businesses, as well as the industry, have embraced the Windows 2000 platform because of the tremendous combination of benefits it offers, including reliability, ease of use and the ability to integrate the Internet into their environment.”
Windows 2000 – Beyond the Enterprise
Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server deliver the best platform for small businesses.
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Windows 2000 Professional. Windows 2000 Professional builds on the ease of use and manageability found in Windows 95 and Windows 98 with new features to help users increase productivity. The desktop operating system works with users’ current networks and PCs, supports plug-and-play technology, and, with 64 MB of RAM, performs up to 30 percent faster than Windows 98 and up to 24 percent faster than the Windows NT® Workstation 4.0 operating system. ZD Labs found that the reliability of Windows 2000 Professional is 17 times that of Windows NT Workstation 4.0 and 50 times that of Windows 98.*
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Windows 2000 Server. Windows 2000 Server is a multipurpose, entry-level solution for running more reliable and manageable file, print, intranet, communications and infrastructure servers. Windows 2000 Server provides users with the confidence that their servers will be up, running and open for business, and according to testing done by PC Magazine and PC Week, Windows 2000 Server performs up to 100 percent faster than Windows NT Server 4.0 when deployed as a file server and up to 25 percent faster when deployed as a Web server.** Integrated Web and communications services, such as virtual private networking and remote access services, and comprehensive security options enable users to securely connect mobile employees, branch offices, partners and customers to their network.
“Small businesses can’t afford to take risks with their technology investment. They need technology that simply works so that they can focus on their business needs,”
said Joe Clabby, senior analyst at Aberdeen Group Inc.
“Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server meet this need by combining powerful reliability features with familiarity and ease of use.”
Resources for Small Businesses
To help small businesses evaluate and deploy Windows 2000, Microsoft developed a small-business resource available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/smallbiz/ . Small-business customers interested in deploying Windows 2000 Professional can find a system builder or technology provider in their area by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/smallbiz/getready/
consultanttypes.asp . In addition, Microsoft works with numerous PC manufacturers, such as Compaq Computer Corp., to offer small-business solutions. Compaq offers a specific Windows 2000 package available at most retailers to meet the needs of small businesses.
“Compaq and Microsoft have jointly developed specific Windows 2000-based Prosignia models – the Prosignia 330, 340 and 170 – that empower small businesses to quickly, easily and cost-effectively do business on the Internet,”
said Kyle Ranson, vice president and general manager, Small and Medium Business Division of Compaq.
“Compaq makes it convenient for small-business customers to buy these solutions wherever they prefer to buy, including retail.”
ONE/Northwest and Hard Drives Northwest
ONE/Northwest is a Seattle-based, high-tech nonprofit organization dedicated to providing technology expertise and training to conservation activists and organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest. As a technical consulting organization, ONE/Northwest must keep up with new solutions and tools in order to recommend the best technology solutions to its clients; therefore, it needs a reliable technology infrastructure. It called on local system builder Hard Drives Northwest to provide it with the Windows 2000 desktop and server network that meets its business needs.
“The best thing about Windows 2000 is that it just works,”
said Denise Joines, executive director of ONE/Northwest.
“Windows 2000 allows us, for the first time, to have 24×7 reliability 365 days a year.”
“We looked at some of the ‘free’ operating system choices available as possible recommendations for our small-business customers, but we found that Windows 2000 offers the reliability, manageability and ease of use that the others do not,”
said Brian Jessen, president of Hard Drives Northwest.
“I recommended Windows 2000 to ONE/Northwest because I know it is the most reliable product on the market, with years of use and testing behind it.”
KeaKilim and Custom Built Computers
KeaKilim is a textile importing company in New York City. KeaKilim specializes in exotic rugs from locations all over the world. Windows 2000 offers KeaKilim the ease of use and communication services it needs to interact effectively with its customers. When KeaKilim needed a new technology solution, it contacted Custom Built Computers, which recommended Windows 2000 Professional.
“I travel frequently each year – one week I’m in Uzbekistan and the next I’m in Ulan Bator. My laptop is my office. Windows 2000 is easy to use and allows me to effectively run my business,”
said Susan Gomersall, president of KeaKilim.
“With Windows 2000, my system is always up and running, so I can take care of my customers and grow my business no matter where I am in the world.”
“Our customers depend on us to provide them with the technology that’s right for them – most small businesses don’t have their own IT staff,”
said Sean Scott, MCSE and CEO of Custombuilt Network Services at Custom Built Computers.
“As a system builder, I recommend that all my small-business customers purchase their new PCs preinstalled with Windows 2000 Professional rather than Windows 98, because it provides the best business experience – the operating system is easy to use and maintain and has exceptional laptop capabilities.”
ThinkTanksWorldWide.com and FES
ThinkTanksWorldWide.com (TTWW) is the first
“mega-menu,”
multipoint visual communications provider where people gather online in groups of six, eight or even more to engage in live conversations of mutual interest. TTWW provides groups of people with the ability to see and hear each other over the Internet. When TTWW needed a computer infrastructure that met the needs of its Internet business, it turned to First Edge Sornson (FES) LLC, a Microsoft Solution Provider that immediately recommended the Windows 2000 platform.
“As a start-up, we face many of the same challenges as large enterprises. We were looking for a platform to provide the infrastructure to get up and running on the Internet quickly,”
said Ed Menken, COO at ThinkTanksWorldWide.com.
“We don’t have the time or resources to devote to supporting technology, so we chose Windows 2000 Professional because it is both incredibly reliable and the best platform for the Internet.”
“The enhanced Internet capabilities and the awesome stability of Windows 2000 Professional make the choice a no-brainer for the IT operation at ThinkTanksWorldWide.com,”
said Lloyd Conley, director of Product Development at FES.
“They were way ahead of us – they had been running a prerelease version of Windows 2000 for about six months when we first discussed the project with them.”
About Windows 2000 and Microsoft
Windows 2000 is an ideal platform for the next generation of business computing and addresses the full range of customers’ computing needs, from laptops and desktops to high-end clustered servers. The operating system helps organizations Internet-enable their business with a reliable, manageable infrastructure that is optimized for existing and emerging hardware. More information about Windows 2000 is available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/ and http://www.microsoft.com/technet/ .
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software 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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