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<TD WIDTH="100%"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A CLASS="NavLink" HREF="file:///D:/Documents and Settings/ericbrus/My Documents/My Webs/myweb12/server/features/choosing.asp" target="_top">Choosing the Right Server</A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
Independent reviews and commentary on Windows 2000 Server from technology journalists and industry analysts. This page updates frequently. Most of these links take you away from Microsoft's Web site; don't be gone too long.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/CNETonClusters.asp"><B>Report: Software Giants Team to Push Server "Clusters"</B></A><BR />
(May 16) CNET reports that IBM and Microsoft have joined to offer prepackaged two-computer clusters of servers at a discounted price: "One variety of clustering lets one computer take over when another fails. Another shares tasks among a group of computers, effectively making one larger, faster computer out of a group of smaller ones."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/IBMthinclients.asp"><B>Report: IBM Ships Thin Client for Windows-Based Terminals</B></A><BR />
(May 3) According to TechWeb, IBM has released its first thin client for Windows-based terminals. The thin client works well in repetitive-task environments, such as call centers, and will soon include the Internet Explorer browser.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/MoreCertApps.asp"><B>Report: More Apps Certified, Partners Helping with Windows 2000 Security</B></A><BR />
(April 26) ENT Magazine reports that according to Microsoft, more than 4,000 Windows Ready applications are available today, and more than 4,500 more are on the way.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/WallStreet.asp"><B>Report: Ballmer Pitches Windows 2000 to Wall Street</B></A><BR />
(April 19) Computerworld reports that the chief information officer of one financial firm that switched to Windows 2000 "is finding that Windows 2000 calculates eight times faster than Unix, at a tenth of the price."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/Stratus.asp"><B>Report: Stratus Unveils Fault-tolerant Windows 2000 Servers</B></A><BR />
(April 18) Computerworld reports that the new Stratus ftServer promises more than 99.999 percent availability—less than five minutes of hardware downtime annually—at prices at least 80 percent less than the previous price for Stratus' entry-level, Unix-based fault-tolerant computers.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/CNETonStratus.asp"><B>Report: Stratus Pins Future on Windows 2000</B></A><BR />
(April 18) According to CNET, "Stratus Computer, known for super-high-end computers that rarely crash, expects its new Windows servers will become its most important product and open doors for Stratus and Microsoft."
<TD WIDTH="16"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/Consolidate.asp"><IMG SRC="/windows2000/images/icoLink4.gif" WIDTH="11" HEIGHT="11" ALT="Go to Report: IT Managers Find Advantages in Windows 2000; Consolidating on the Operating System Improves Performance" BORDER="0" VSPACE="2" /></A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/Consolidate.asp"><B>Report: IT Managers Find Advantages in Windows 2000; Consolidating on the Operating System Improves Performance</B></A><BR />
(April 17) InformationWeek Online: "Replacing the hodgepodge of Windows NT, 95, and 98 PCs and notebook computers running throughout companies with one system—Windows 2000 Professional—can yield better application performance, easier support for mobile workers, and less-expensive, more-efficient strategies for managing groups of users and keeping software up to date, IT managers and analysts say."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/Oklahoma.asp"><B>Report: W2OK Hits the Ground Running </B></A><BR />
(April 12) ENT Magazine reports on the Oklahoma Supreme Court's move to Windows 2000 for its computer network that includes remote systems in each of 77 counties, a quarter of a million legal documents, every Oklahoma state statute, as well as rules and guidelines for judges to hand down consistent decisions.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/NewAppliances.asp"><B>Report: Appliance Servers Arrive from IBM, Dell</B></A><BR />
(April 12) According to ENT Magazine, "The concept of server appliances got a big boost in the last few weeks with major system offerings from IBM Corp. and Dell Computer Corp. Both companies built new server appliances on optimized Windows 2000 code."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/Sprint.asp"><B>Report: Sprint Launches More Web-Based Services</B></A><BR />
(April 5) TechWeb reports that Sprint's new lineup of services includes a new Web-hosting platform based on Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Site Server Commerce Edition.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/DellAppliances.asp"><B>Report: Dell Rolls Out Appliance Servers</B></A><BR />
(April 5) According to ENT Magazine, Dell's new PowerApp line of Web servers and Internet caching servers includes an offering that runs on Windows 2000 software optimized for Web serving.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/SpeedRecord.asp"><B>Report: Windows 2000 Shatters Internet Performance Records</B></A><BR />
(April 3) WinInfo reports that in a contest sponsored by the Internet2 Community, "Windows 2000 set a new Internet performance record using off-the-shelf Dell and Compaq workstations."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/EntonBugReport.asp"><B>ENT Magazine: Reports of Windows 2000 Bug Hasty</B></A><BR />
(April 3) According to ENT Magazine, "reports of a potential flaw in Windows 2000 have been debunked." The article quotes a moderator at NTBugtraq, who encountered no issues after configuring his domain controller with more than the 51 IP addresses that reportedly caused problems.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/EntonSFU2.asp"><B>Report: Microsoft Unveils Windows Services for Unix 2.0</B></A><BR />
(April 3) ENT Magazine reports on the new upgrade to Microsoft Windows Services for Unix, which is designed to bridge the gap between Windows 2000 and Unix-based network environments and will be launched in May.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/Nefinity.asp"><B>Report: IBM, Microsoft Team On Appliance Servers</B></A><BR />
(March 29) Reuters reports that the new appliance server, the IBM Netfinity A-100, uses an operating system based on Windows 2000, along with software developed by IBM that can boost the appliance's speed and deliver information more quickly to Internet users.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/DeployConf.asp"><B>Report: Microsoft to Host Deployment Conferences</B></A><BR />
(March 16) ENT Magazine reports that the Windows 2000 Deployment Conferences will feature experts from the product development team and Microsoft Consulting Services. The conferences will be held March 27-29 in Geneva, and April 26-28 in New Orleans.
<TD WIDTH="16"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/OneMillion.asp"><IMG SRC="/windows2000/images/icoLink4.gif" WIDTH="11" HEIGHT="11" ALT="Go to Report: Microsoft Sells 1 Million Units of Windows 2000" BORDER="0" VSPACE="2" /></A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/OneMillion.asp"><B>Report: Microsoft Sells 1 Million Units of Windows 2000</B></A><BR />
(March 14) Reuters reports that sales of Windows 2000 "trounced those of its predecessor, Windows NT 4.0," which sold 140,000 copies in the three months following its July 1996 release.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/IBMServers.asp"><B>Report: IBM Ships Servers For Windows 2000</B></A><BR />
(March 14) TechWeb reports that IBM rolled out a pair of four-way symmetric multiprocessing Netfinity servers designed for Windows 2000. Officials say the servers will have performance capabilities typically found on mainframe and mid-range systems.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/Anderson.asp"><B>Report: Microsoft, Andersen Form Windows 2000 E-commerce Venture</B></A><BR />
(March 13) Computerworld reports on the $1 billion alliance between Microsoft and Andersen Consulting aimed at developing e-commerce systems running on Windows 2000.
<TD WIDTH="16"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/BushWinsonWindows.asp"><IMG SRC="/windows2000/images/icoLink4.gif" WIDTH="11" HEIGHT="11" ALT="Go to Report: Bush Site Uses Windows Technology to Win Super Tuesday Web Performance Duel" BORDER="0" VSPACE="2" /></A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/BushWinsonWindows.asp"><B>Report: Bush Site Uses Windows Technology to Win Super Tuesday Web Performance Duel</B></A><BR />
(March 9) The official Web site of the George W. Bush campaign beat the performance of the other presidential candidates' sites by 45 percent on Super Tuesday primary day, according to measurements by Internet performance authority Keynote—which noted that Bush's site was the only one of the four candidates powered by Microsoft Windows software.
<TD WIDTH="16"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/WinDataCenter.asp"><IMG SRC="/windows2000/images/icoLink4.gif" WIDTH="11" HEIGHT="11" ALT="Go to Report: Windows in the Data Center: New Hope for the Enterprise" BORDER="0" VSPACE="2" /></A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/WinDataCenter.asp"><B>Report: Windows in the Data Center: New Hope for the Enterprise</B></A><BR />
(March 9) In Internet Week's report on the upcoming Windows 2000 Datacenter Edition, the vice president of systems architecture for Prudential Insurance Co., which has been beta-testing the product, says, "As we drive the operating system into data center functions, we're looking for a more reliable product, and we think we have it in the Datacenter Edition."
<A HREF="file:///D:/Documents and Settings/ericbrus/My Documents/My Webs/myweb12/server/reviews/dotcoms.asp"><B>Proving-the-Point: Interviews with Next-Generation Windows 2000 dot.coms</B></A><BR />
(March 1) In this report Aberdeen found and identified a major source of disconnect in the information systems marketplace that has lead to the misperception that Windows NT (soon to become Windows 2000) is not enterprise-ready.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/WENonTechWeb.asp"><B>Report: Microsoft, Intel Unveil Small Business Network Box</B></A><BR />
(March 1) Reuters reports on a new device that will help small businesses wire their offices and connect to the Internet. The new appliance "can be set up in about one hour, helping small business managers avoid the headaches of running a complicated network."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/VPNon ENT.asp"><B>Report: NSTL Tests Windows 2000 VPN</B></A><BR />
(March 1) ENT Online reports on National Software Testing Laboratory Inc. testing that demonstrated Windows 2000 can support both 5,000 simultaneous point-to-point tunneling protocol (PPTP) and 5,000 simultaneous layer two tunneling protocol (L2TP/IPSec) virtual private networking connections.
<TD WIDTH="16"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/gigaad.asp"><IMG SRC="/windows2000/images/icoDoc4.gif" WIDTH="11" HEIGHT="11" ALT="Go to Is There A Security Flaw Within Active Directory?" BORDER="0" VSPACE="2" /></A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/gigaad.asp"><B>Is There A Security Flaw Within Active Directory?</B></A><BR />
(Feb. 29) Novell's assertions as to the existence of a security flaw in Active Directory are inaccurate. The long answer is more complex and is worthy of elaboration.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/EETimesXaction.asp"><B>Report: Windows 2000 Aces Transaction Processing Test</B></A><BR />
(Feb. 28) EE Times reports on new results showing that a configuration based on Windows 2000 Datacenter Server attained a TPC-C benchmark of more than 48,767 transactions per minute.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/EntMagScalability.asp"><B>Report: Benchmark Scalability Surprises from Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Datacenter Server</B></A><BR />
(Feb. 17) Ent.Online reports that Microsoft used the Windows 2000 Launch to demonstrate the enterprise scalability of Windows 2000 Advanced Server and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server. For the former, a pair of TPC benchmark results "vaulted past every single TPC-C result published by Unix/RISC vendors on raw performance."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/VarBizLaunch.asp"><B>Report: "All Hail the Conquering Operating System"</B></A><BR />
(Feb. 16) VAR Business interviews early adopters of Windows 2000: "Overall, those who have already handled the new OS praise its reliability, flexibility, and manageability."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/NWFDell.asp"><B>Report: Dell Says Windows 2000 Is Ready to Roll</B></A><BR />
(Feb. 16) If you care about stability, reliability, and manageability, you should run Windows 2000 across your enterprise, says computermaker Michael Dell. And he takes that personally: Dell runs Windows 2000 on his own laptop; his company runs its Website with it.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/InfoWorldActDirRTM.asp"><B>Review: "Active Directory Barks Up the Right Tree"</B></A><BR />
(Feb. 7) InfoWorld: "Although the path to upgrading to Active Directory may be difficult, all indications show that it would be a worthwhile one." Active Directory "is a long-awaited, crucial addition to Windows. For many IT administrators, Microsoft's directory services may be the deciding factor when choosing to move to this platform.
<TD WIDTH="16"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/ZDNetRTM.asp"><IMG SRC="/windows2000/images/icoLink4.gif" WIDTH="11" HEIGHT="11" ALT="Go to Review: "A Rock-Solid Platform for the Next Decade"" BORDER="0" VSPACE="2" /></A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/ZDNetRTM.asp"><B>Review: "A Rock-Solid Platform for the Next Decade"</B></A><BR />
(Feb. 3) "If you upgrade to Windows 2000," says ZDNet's review, "you'll have plenty to smile about. The improvements are profound and immediately noticeable." Reliability? "Practically crash-proof." Setup? "Ridiculously easy." Security? "The laundry list of new security features reads like the notes for Tom Clancy's next novel." Compatible? "With thousands of mainstream business programs."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/PCMagRTM.asp"><B>Review: "We're Very Impressed"</B></A><BR />
(Jan. 26) "PC Magazine Labs has been testing Windows 2000 for over a year, and we're very impressed with the scope and power of its new features. We're even more impressed with its stability; crashes have been exceedingly rare." An in-depth, feature-by-feature review.</FONT>
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/IWeekRTMServer.asp"><B>Review: "Windows 2000 Server: Worth the Wait"</B></A><BR />
(Jan. 25) Internet Week casts a "very favorable" eye on Windows 2000 Server. In extensive testing, "We found significant improvements in reliability, manageability, and scalability."
(Jan. 7) "Early customers," reports Internet Week, find Windows 2000 "more manageable and scalable." Dotcom firms, the report notes, are prominent among the first adopters, citing "performance as the key reason" to make the upgrade.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/CRNPerformance.asp"><B>Review: "Windows 2000's IIS Rocks After Tuning"</B></A><BR />
(Jan. 7) Computer Reseller News found that proper tuning in Internet Information Server 5.0 and Windows 2000 Advanced Server can boost performance as much as 30 percent.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/WinMagIIS.asp"><B>Review: "Fleet of Foot and Tight of Footprint"</B></A><BR />
(Jan. 6) Winmag.com's At Your Server columnist is knocked out by the performance of the Internet Information Server 5.0 included with Windows 2000 Server.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/WinMagRTM.asp"><B>Review: "Everything We Hoped It Would Be"</B></A><BR />
(Dec. 28) "Windows 2000 was worth the wait," reports Winmag.com (formerly Windows Magazine). "There's a lot to like, and also a lot to get to know, because this is a very different version of Windows. And it's not for everyone. Still, it might surprise you how well it could work for you."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/CnetRTM.asp"><B>Review: "Stable, Sophisticated, and Worth the Upgrade"</B></A><BR />
(Dec. 17) Says CNET.com: "For any size of business, Windows 2000 has the right stuff, both as a workstation and as a server. It's stable, easy to install, and packs in enough new features to make it a must-have upgrade." Complete review on CNET's site.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/PCWeekRTMReview.asp"><B>Review: Windows 2000 Earns "Analyst's Choice Award"</B></A><BR />
(Dec. 17) PC Week Labs review Windows 2000 Server: The question, they conclude, isn't whether to upgrade. Only when. "Windows 2000's multilevel directory, Internet standards, quota-enabled file system, and built-in transaction and queueing services earn it a PC Week Labs Analyst's Choice award."
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/CRNAdvReview.asp"><B>Review: "Windows 2000 Advanced Server More Stable"</B></A><BR />
(Dec. 16) Computer Reseller News reviews the release-to-manufacturing version of Windows 2000 Advanced Server, finding it allows the network OS to scale up better in enterprise environments than Windows NT 4.0.
<TD WIDTH="16"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/AberdEnterprise.asp"><IMG SRC="/windows2000/images/icoLink4.gif" WIDTH="11" HEIGHT="11" ALT="Go to Aberdeen Study: Windows 2000 and NT Are Enterprise Ready" BORDER="0" VSPACE="2" /></A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/AberdEnterprise.asp"><B>Aberdeen Study: Windows 2000 and NT Are Enterprise Ready</B></A><BR />
(Dec. 16) A new Aberdeen Group report finds Windows 2000 and Windows NT suitable for deployment in mission-critical computing environments. (Charge for full report; executive summary and table of contents free.)
(Nov. 17) Internet Week reports on Windows 2000 as a economic option for handling Web-centered computing. Windows 2000 will be scalable and heavy-duty enough to take on many of the Web-centric tasks currently ceded to Unix, Microsoft's Bill Hartnett told the Financial Technology trade show.
(Nov. 16) CNN.com reports from Comdex that Microsoft spent US$162 million to improve reliability in Windows 2000. For reliability, "there's no comparison," Vice President Jim Allchin said.
<TD WIDTH="16"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/PCWeekUnisys.asp"><IMG SRC="/windows2000/images/icoLink4.gif" WIDTH="11" HEIGHT="11" ALT="Go to "We've Taken Windows 2000 and Proven It Is Scalable"" BORDER="0" VSPACE="2" /></A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/PCWeekUnisys.asp"><B>"We've Taken Windows 2000 and Proven It Is Scalable"</B></A><BR />
(Nov. 15) PC Week reports on a system of Unisys servers and EMC storage subsystems that used Windows 2000 to absorb 3 billion Web hits a day, the equivalent of 30 times last year's holiday e-commerce transactions.
<A HREF="/windows2000/news/external/gartnerlogo.asp"><B>Windows 2000-Logo-Compliant Apps Will Help Enterprises Reduce Desktop TCO</B></A><BR />
(Sept. 13) A Gartner Group report recommends that enterprises use applications that comply with the desktop Application Specification for Windows 2000 to reduce TCO and improve stability.
<A HREF="file:///D:/Documents and Settings/ericbrus/My Documents/My Webs/myweb12/server/reviews/roi.asp"><B>Windows 2000 Server: ROI Impacts for Corporate Customers</B></A><BR />
This Arthur Andersen study assesses the high-level Return on Investment (ROI) impacts for organizations migrating from Windows NT Server to Windows 2000 Server.
<TD WIDTH="16"><!--mstheme--><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica"><A HREF="file:///D:/Documents and Settings/ericbrus/My Documents/My Webs/myweb12/server/reviews/ncri.asp"><IMG SRC="/windows2000/images/icoLink4.gif" WIDTH="11" HEIGHT="11" ALT="Go to NerveWire's Analysis of Microsoft Windows 2000 TCO" BORDER="0" VSPACE="2" /></A><!--mstheme--></font></TD>
<A HREF="file:///D:/Documents and Settings/ericbrus/My Documents/My Webs/myweb12/server/reviews/ncri.asp"><B>NerveWire's Analysis of Microsoft Windows 2000 TCO</B></A><BR />
This study explains how six companies lowered their systems management costs by deploying Windows 2000 Professional and Server.
