REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 16, 2004 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of a combination of tools, prescriptive guidance, training and technical support for customers that are considering migrating from Novell NetWare to Microsoft®
Windows Server (TM) 2003. In addition, qualifying NetWare customers in the United States that decide to migrate to Windows Server 2003 can take advantage of a $600 partner services subsidy for each Windows Server 2003 license purchased with 50 client access licenses (up to a maximum of 25 subsidies per customer, a $15,000 value) through the U.S. Mid-Market NetWare Migration Promotion.*
As a part of the promotion, Microsoft also is offering online training vouchers and unlimited technical support (via newsgroups) at no cost for NetWare users that are considering migrating to the Windows Server platform.**
Microsoft also is providing a number of helpful offerings for customers worldwide that are either considering or actively pursuing a migration from NetWare to Microsoft Windows Server 2003. These offers include migration tools from Microsoft and Quest Software Inc., Solution Accelerators that provide step-by-step migration guidance, unlimited technical support (via newsgroups), and training programs that help customers simplify and accelerate the migration process, further enhancing the many benefits of taking advantage of the Microsoft Windows Server platform.
“Customers have increasingly told us that they are looking for ways to make the move to Microsoft’s reliable server platform and road map, but are concerned about migration issues,” said Martin Taylor, general manager of Platform Strategy at Microsoft. “These offerings are designed to help address customers’ concerns and assist them in evaluating their options through information, tools and Microsoft partner support, making migration easier and more cost-effective.”
“Our NetWare environment presented additional complexity and costs without added benefits or capabilities,” said Dave Chacon, technical services manager at PING Inc., a Phoenix-based manufacturer of high-performance, high-end golf equipment. “We migrated from Novell NetWare to Windows Server 2003 due to Microsoft’s wider choice of application and hardware options, its industry-leading development toolset, and its best-of-breed messaging and collaboration capabilities,” Chacon said. “From an IT perspective, ease of management was a key reason that we went with Windows Server System (TM) . On the business side, we saw that it would help us reduce costs and realize new capabilities.”
Microsoft’s offerings include Windows®
Services For Netware (SFN), a set of free, downloadable tools for migrating from NetWare to Windows Server 2003. For enterprises with highly complex configurations for which more-advanced migration capabilities are required, Microsoft also is joining with Quest Software to make Quest’s NDS Migrator product available at a reduced rate. Enterprise customers with more than 1,000 seats can take advantage of a 20 percent discount off the list price of Quest’s NDS Migrator. Microsoft also has developed solution accelerators that provide migration guidance for both Windows SFN and Quest NDS Migrator.
“We’re pleased to be working with Microsoft to help customers successfully accomplish their NetWare-to-Windows migrations,” said Andrew Fraser, director of Business Development at Quest Software. “Together, Quest NDS Migrator and Microsoft’s Windows Services For NetWare migration offerings enable companies of any size to migrate from NetWare to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 more easily and cost-effectively than ever before.”
Microsoft’s strong partner ecosystem will also benefit from Microsoft’s NetWare migration offerings, including the partner services subsidies offered through the U.S. Mid-Market NetWare Migration Promotion. These offerings will enable partners to spend more time with their customers and earn new revenue.
Thousands of Microsoft Certified Partners are available to assist customers with their NetWare migration plans. If customers are not already working with a partner, they can find a Microsoft Certified Partner to assist them by visiting http://directory.microsoft.com/mprd .
Microsoft provides customers and partners with a proven, value-based integrated and innovative platform for deploying both Microsoft and third-party business-critical applications, while simplifying and optimizing IT infrastructure so customers can do more with less.
“Our experience of migrating from Novell Netware to Windows Server 2003 has validated our hypothesis that Windows is easier to manage and maintain while better enabling us to consolidate our platforms,” said Dan Zadra, senior systems manager for technical services at CUNA Mutual Group, a financial services provider based in Madison, Wis.
More information on the Mid-Market NetWare Migration Promotion and the benefits of migrating to the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 platform can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/migrate/novell/default.mspx .
About Microsoft
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* This offer is good for purchases made by qualifying organizations after Oct. 25, 2004, and until the sooner of May 1, 2005, or for the first 1,000 redemptions made by qualifying organizations. Limit 25 redemptions per qualifying organization. Please check https://www.microsoftincentives.com/netware/terms.aspx for full terms and conditions, qualifying purchases, and availability of the offer.
** Offer good in the United States only until May 1, 2005, or while supplies last. Limit one training voucher per customer. Customers must have a valid pin code from Microsoft to qualify for this offer. See https://www.microsoftincentives.com/netware/ for offer details.
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