[Fwd: InformationWeek Daily 10/25/99]

[Bruce Smith <bruce@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is from my daily Information Week newsletter.
(other stories snipped)

I think the last paragraph pretty much sums up NT reliability.  And 
the new NT pricing makes Linux look like a even better alternative!

--------------------------------------------
Bruce Smith                bruce@armintl.com
System Administrator / Network Administrator
Armstrong International, Inc.
Three Rivers, Michigan  49093  USA
http://www.armstrong-intl.com/
--------------------------------------------


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: InformationWeek Daily 10/25/99
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 1999 01:04:03 -0600
From: InformationWeek <news@daily.informationweek.com>


			-TOP STORIES-

- Microsoft Expected To Hold The Line On W2K Pricing

Microsoft will debut Windows 2000 server products at prices 
comparable to Windows NT 4 and justify pricing of its high-
end DataCenter Server with performance gains, say customers 
and integrators briefed by the company.

Microsoft has told its largest customers and service 
providers that list pricing for Windows 2000 Server will 
range from $300 to $700, depending on the number of client 
licenses and other features; Windows 2000 Advanced Server 
will retail for around $3,000; and Windows 2000 DataCenter 
Server will run about $10,000. A popular upgrade version of 
Windows NT Server 4 now carries a list price of $329; 
Windows NT 4 Enterprise Edition retails for $3,199. 
Microsoft officials would not comment on pricing.

While these prices don't reflect the deep discounts afforded 
customers who buy in volume or through licensing programs, 
they suggest Microsoft intends to hold pricing steady for 
Windows 2000, expected to ship early next year. And 
DataCenter Server, scheduled for release three to four 
months later, won't be sold on price, say people familiar 
with the company's plans. 

Microsoft president Steve Ballmer has argued that total cost 
of ownership is receding in importance as customers look to 
the company for more scalable, more reliable systems that 
can run key enterprise applications. An IS manager at a 
multibillion-dollar company says adequate technical support 
will help determine whether he buys the upgraded operating 
system. "We tend to have to reboot an NT server every 30 
days," he says. "If they want to play in that space, they've 
got to support that."  - Aaron Ricadela