REDMOND, Wash., May 23, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Datacenter Server beta 2 release to industry partners including server hardware vendors, IHVs, ISVs and research institutes. Windows 2000 Datacenter Server is Microsoft’s operating system for the most demanding levels of availability and scalability. Delivery of beta 2 to qualified Datacenter Server hardware vendors enables them to provide a complete evaluation platform to beta and Joint Development Program (JDP) participants for high-end enterprise computing solutions, such as large dotcoms, application service providers, online transaction processing, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, data warehousing, enterprise messaging and server consolidation.
“The availability of beta 2 and the launch of the Datacenter JDP is a key milestone toward completing the validation of all the elements of the Windows Datacenter Program,”
said Michel Gambier, group product manager of Enterprise Server Marketing at Microsoft.
“Working closely with our industry partners, beta and JDP customers, our objective is not only to test the operating system, but also the Datacenter Hardware Compatibility Test and services framework of the program.”
Beta and JDP participants are working with Microsoft and server vendors to test and evaluate the combination of high-end server platforms and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. They will also evaluate the Windows Datacenter Program’s stringent hardware qualification and mission-critical services as jointly implemented by server hardware vendors and Microsoft.
Datacenter JDP Launched
The Datacenter Joint Development Program was developed to test both Datacenter Server product functionality as well as overall program effectiveness. Customers were selected to represent a wide range of industries and deployment scenarios, including e-commerce, finance, banking, telecom, retail and manufacturing. JDP participants are a critical component of the software development process.
“Data Return is pleased to be involved in the Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Joint Development Program with Microsoft. By utilizing high-end Compaq eight-way ProLiant servers and Windows Datacenter Server as its core managed infrastructure, Data Return believes that it can drive the highest levels of scalability and availability for its customers’ complex e-commerce and application needs in the market today,”
said David A. George, Data Return’s director of business development.
“Data Return focuses 100 percent on the Microsoft platform; through its close involvement with Microsoft on this Joint Development Program, Data Return’s customers and partners will benefit greatly from a platform that is architected to scale to meet their ever-increasing demands for high availability applications in a fully managed lights out environment.”
The Windows Datacenter Program
Microsoft and industry partners worked together to develop a complete integrated product and support solution designed to address the demanding requirements of enterprise customers. The key elements of the Windows Datacenter Program include a new hardware platform validation process, the Datacenter Hardware Compatibility Test and a new service program that includes a core set of service offerings that all Datacenter certified vendors will offer to their customers. These services include 24×7 support, high-availability guarantees, installation and change-management control. The service program also includes a Joint Support queue, where support calls will be handled jointly by the server hardware vendors and Microsoft.
“Abbey National is very excited about the combination of Unisys’ ES7000 server with the Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server,”
said Steve Lane, director of Group Technology Services at Abbey National.
“We believe that these two technologies could be a significant step toward mainframe-style computing on Windows- and Intel-based technology. We look forward to the prospect of testing the viability of these technologies during the Windows 2000 Datacenter Joint Development Program.”
Windows 2000 Server Family
Windows 2000 Datacenter Server is part of the Windows 2000 Server family, which provides businesses with compatible and reliable solutions from the workgroup to the datacenter. It includes all the features found in Windows 2000 Advanced Server and has high-end scalability features such as support for 64 GB of memory and support for up to 32 processors, Winsock Direct, as well as availability and reliability features such as two- and four-node clustering, process control and network load balancing. Windows 2000 Datacenter Server will only be available through qualified systems manufacturers as part of the Windows Datacenter Program. Windows 2000 Datacenter Server will be released to manufacturers during summer 2000.
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Addendum: What Windows Datacenter Program Partners Have to Say
“As a long-time provider of highly scalable and reliable infrastructures, we firmly believe that Windows 2000 Datacenter will bring significant benefits to our customers. Much more reliability, availability and performance is required of back-end application servers in the e-economy. Datacenter will enable us to extend the presence of the Windows platform in that space, bringing its flexibility, low-cost and ease of integration to a wider range of e-business solutions. Bull will support Windows 2000 Datacenter on its EXPRESS5800 range of servers, with associated services delivered by its world-class services organization.”
–Bruno Pinna
Marketing Director for Intel Servers
Bull
“Compaq and Microsoft have worked together for years raising the bar for standards-based computing. The Windows Datacenter Program backed by our world-class Services organization represents a major step in providing the overall system stability required to drive our ProLiant Servers and StorageWorks products deeper into the Enterprise. We have jointly responded to the customer demand for highly reliable, cost-effective programs to solve today’s business problems.”
–Paul Santeler
Vice President of Enterprise Servers
Industry Standard Servers Group
Compaq Corp.
“As a leading provider of Enterprise Windows 2000 solutions, Data General is pleased to participate in the Windows 2000 Datacenter Program. The knowledge gained from this experience will help Data General confidently deploy and support mission-critical business solutions based on Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. Our customers that demand the highest availability from their Windows-based applications will also benefit by having a fully tested robust operating environment, delivered on a fully tested enterprise-class AViiON Server platform coupled with EMC Symmetrix Storage.”
–Mike Parise
Vice President World Wide Marketing
Data General
“Keeping enterprise systems online and available has become even more critical in the Internet economy. Working with Microsoft on the Windows 2000 Datacenter Program will give our mutual customers extremely reliable Dell PowerEdge servers and Dell PowerVault storage systems running the Windows 2000 Datacenter Server operating system. The program will help accelerate customers’ adoption of our industry-leading systems to power the largest of jobs in their Internet and e-commerce operations.”
–Bob Van Steenberg
Vice President and General Manager
Enterprise Server Products
Dell Computer Corp.
“Fujitsu Siemens Computers congratulates Microsoft for introducing the next level of enterprise-class functions in Windows 2000. The Windows 2000 Datacenter is an important new building block in our high-end offering of highly reliable and scalable platforms for mission-critical environments like e-business and ERP. It will help our customers implement datacenters and server farms based on the comprehensive PRIMERGY server range, and we will service and support Windows 2000 Datacenter with our full enterprise computing expertise.”
–Dr. Joseph Reger
Vice President
Strategic Marketing
Fujitsu Siemens Computers
“Microsoft’s Datacenter Program recognizes the fact that achieving true system reliability and availability in the enterprise requires a carefully managed balance of hardware, software and service technologies. This mirrors Stratus’ approach to fault-tolerance, as evidenced by our new ftServer systems for Windows 2000-based environments. The beta 2 release of Datacenter Server is a critical next step to bringing a comprehensive, cost-effective solution to enterprise users for their most demanding requirements. As a participating server provider, Stratus remains committed to contributing to this important program.”
–David Laurello
Senior Vice President
Products, Technology and Operations
Stratus
“Hitachi is pleased that Windows 2000 Datacenter Server beta 2 has been released to OEM Datacenter Partners. With the HA8000 high-end server series, Hitachi is introducing the first eight-way SMP system, based on Intel’s Profusion architecture, to the enterprise PC server market. With HA8000 servers running Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, Hitachi and Microsoft will be able to provide our customers with a highly reliable platform and solution.”
–Masatsugu Shinozaki
General Manager
Personal Computer Development Operation
PC Division
Hitachi
“HP customers depend on the reliability, scalability and high availability of our HP NetServer systems, so we are proud to continue to enhance those benefits as part of the Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server solution. HP and Microsoft are working together to enable our customers to successfully deploy Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter beta 2. Our customers are ensured a smooth transition by leveraging Microsoft’s innovative software solution with HP’s comprehensive services to help customers plan, design, implement and maintain HP NetServer and Windows 2000 Datacenter solutions.”
–Richard Archuleta
General Manager
Network Server Division
Hewlett-Packard Co.
“NEC is excited about the progress of Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. We are pleased to be working jointly with Microsoft to offer a great benefits for beta customers of Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. With Windows 2000 Datacenter Server, NEC Express5800 will be the best platform for enterprise customers who require highly available and reliable solutions.”
–Tatsumi Nishi
General Manager
NEC
“IBM/Netfinity has been working closely with Microsoft through the development and testing of Windows 2000 Datacenter. We are keenly interested in working with the large enterprises that will be interested in the functions/features provided by Datacenter to insure that our joint customers receive the support and service they expect from such an enterprise solution.”
–Sandy Carter
Director
Partnerworld for Developers
Netfinity
“Windows 2000 Datacenter Server offers Unisys and Microsoft an unprecedented opportunity to satisfy the demands of today’s large enterprise. Datacenter Server is a showcase for the scalability, reliability, manageability, and flexibility of Unisys enterprise-ready infrastructure services and technology solutions. The Unisys e-@ction Enterprise Server ES7000 and our portfolio of Windows 2000 support, services and applications uniquely position us to provide enterprise-class offerings for Windows 2000. We are enthused to have several large customer organizations already working with Unisys and Microsoft as Datacenter Server Joint Development Partners and early adopters, receiving the value of our enterprise-class best practices and capabilities.”
Irv Epstein
Vice President
Windows 2000 Programs
Unisys
