Microsoft Releases Windows NT and Advanced Server to Manufacturing

Microsoft Releases Windows NT and Advanced Server to Manufacturing

Release Proves Microsoft's Commitment to Corporate Users; Industry Support Is Largest-ever for High-end Operating System

Redmond, Wash. -- July 27, 1993 -- Microsoft Corporation today released both the Microsoft* Windows NT* operating system and Windows NT Advanced Server to manufacturing. Shipments of the complete Windows NT solution for client-server computing are scheduled to be available from value-added resellers, systems integrators, computer manufacturers and software retailers - as well as direct from Microsoft - within three weeks.

The computer industry is responding to this major milestone with a large outpouring of third-party support. Windows NT has been tested for compatibility with more than 2,600 computers, printers and peripherals. More than 70,000 development kits for Windows NT have been purchased, and more than 2,000 new 32-bit applications for the Microsoft Windows* operating system are being developed for release over the coming months. These new applications will add to the base of tens of thousands of existing applications for the Windows and MS-DOS* operating systems that can be run without change on Windows NT. More than 15,000 people at 3,000 companies have been trained under Microsoft's Solution Providers program to offer end users high-quality training and technical support worldwide.

"When we introduced the Windows NT platform, we declared our unwavering commitment to corporate users and the corporate market. The shipment of Windows NT will be an important milestone, enabling customers to benefit more fully from their already large investment in the Windows-based environment," said Gates. "As evaluations are completed and new applications are developed, Windows NT will be seen as a tool that provides customers with the opportunities to significantly extend the benefits they get from their PC desktop and server hardware, simplify their environments, and tap into their existing computing equipment more easily by using the industry-standard networking that is integrated into Windows NT.

"For business-critical computing, corporate users place a high priority on stability and reliability," Gates added. "So do we - so we subjected Windows NT to the most extensive testing effort in our history. The massive industry support infrastructure now in place for Windows NT should make corporate users confident that Windows NT is, as promised, an extremely powerful, reliable and open solution for client-server computing."

Users Praise Power, Stability, Open Architecture

Bank of America was an early user of Windows NT. "To justify the move to a new system, we needed a business analysis and reporting system that could better handle massive amounts of data and complex financial reports, while performing at an optimum level in Bank of America's Intel and Windows-based environment," said William Carpenter, vice president in charge of PC/MIS for Bank of America's Wholesale Banking Information Management. "We needed new levels of power, flexibility and ease of use; we found it with Windows NT."

Arbor offers eSSbase for Windows NT, the industry's first client-server multidimensional analysis system. In its Bank of America installation, the eSSbase software for Windows NT consolidates data available on the network in 50 minutes, compared to 18 hours needed for the earlier, mainframe-based system.

"Windows NT allows us to build applications that combine mission-critical power and the familiar Windows interface, so our users can accomplish new tasks without special retraining," said Kirk Cruikshank, vice president of marketing at Arbor Software.

NASA is taking advantage of the portability of Windows NT with a range of networked RISC, symmetric multiprocessor computers and x86 uniprocessor computers to manage its "Mission Planet Earth" project, which analyzes and consolidates 2 terabytes of satellite-based geographic information per day.

"Windows NT is highly robust and stable and is truly a next generation operating system," said Dr. Briscoe Stephens, manager of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. "Microsoft has taken the best parts of the operating systems that exist today and put them into Windows NT, while reducing the expense of training employees because of its ease of use."

The robustness of Windows NT and its compatibility with existing hardware and software were tested by an unprecedented 70,000-plus developers and 10,000-plus corporate end-user sites prior to release. Microsoft tested Windows NT every day for more than two years, subjecting the daily builds to heavy stress testing to expose problems. Microsoft has also been using Windows NT internally for more than two years - both as a development platform and as its corporate server platform.

The Arizona Department of Transportation will use Windows NT as a CAD platform for workgroup use with Windows NT Advanced Server functioning as the domain controller.

"Stability and single network log on are the biggest issues for my business," said Cliff Barnett, EDP programmer and analyst, Arizona Department of Transportation. "Windows NT is a much more stable platform; security is tighter; and log on is greatly simplified. We don't have to keep track of 30 different passwords anymore. And using the Windows interface with Windows NT is a real benefit. Our employees have seamless access to the operating system without having to think about what platform they are using."

"After studying many alternatives, Nordstrom chose Windows NT Advanced Server for its new enterprise management system," said Larry Shaw, PC coordinator at Nordstrom. "We made this choice because of the clear advantages the Windows NT platform offers in the area of distributed systems management, control and security. The Windows NT Advanced Server makes our administrator's job much easier by offering a single log on feature plus remote administration and management capabilities. These features give Nordstrom the ability to administer all of its stores from one central location."

"We are thrilled to see the availability of Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server," said Casey Powell, CEO, president and chairman of Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. "Corporate customers are voicing high demand for Sequent's WinServer family of symmetric multiprocessing systems running Windows NT. Clearly, Windows NT is a great applications server for business-critical solutions."

In addition, Microsoft and Digital Equipment expect to have the Alpha AXP* version of Windows NT in customer hands within 60 days.

A Significant Achievement

"Windows NT is probably one the largest software projects ever undertaken," said Paul Maritz, senior vice president of the systems division at Microsoft. "In a four-and-a-half-year timeframe, the Windows NT team has delivered a new operating system with a new graphics and window management system and a new networking system (client and server) - all sharing a common, integrated, open and certifiably secure design - on three architectures that are available as both uniprocessor and multiprocessor. To have done this within nine months of the original schedule without having to sacrifice any original design goals, is an incredible achievement. I am confident that as more people become familiar with Windows NT, it will be seen as a robust, well-structured foundation that can be expanded upon for many years to come."

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.

Microsoft is a registered trademark and Windows NT and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Windows NT is a trademarked product name. Please do not abbreviate to NT.

Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation. Sequent and WinServer are registered trademarks of Sequent Computer Systems, Inc.

Microsoft Releases Windows NT and the Windows NT Advanced Server to Manufacturing

Release Furthers Microsoft's Commitment to Corporate Users; Industry Support Is Largest-ever for High-end Operating System

Redmond, Wash. -- July 27, 1993 -- Microsoft Corporation today released both the Microsoft* Windows NT* operating system and Windows NT* Advanced Server to manufacturing. The Windows NT Advanced Server is being released 30 days ahead of schedule. Shipments of both products, designed for client-server solutions, are scheduled to be available from value-added resellers, systems integrators, computer manufacturers and software retailers - as well as direct from Microsoft - within three weeks.

"Windows NT is one of the largest software projects ever undertaken," said Paul Maritz, senior vice president of the systems division at Microsoft. "In four-and-a-half-years of development, the Windows NT team has delivered a new operating system with a new graphics and window management system and a new networking system (client and server) - all sharing a common, integrated, open and certifiably secure design - for three different chip architectures and both uniprocessor and multiprocessor systems. To have done this without sacrificing any of the original design goals is an incredible achievement. I am confident that as more people become familiar with Windows NT, it will be seen as a robust, well-structured foundation that can be expanded upon for many years to come."

The robustness of Windows NT and its compatibility with existing hardware and software were tested by an unprecedented 70,000-plus developers and 10,000-plus corporate end-user sites prior to release. Microsoft has also been using Windows NT internally for more than two years - both as a development platform and as its corporate server platform. In addition, the formal test process subjected daily builds of Windows NT to heavy stress testing to expose any potential problems. "For business-critical computing, corporate users place a high priority on stability and reliability," Maritz added. "We subjected Windows NT to the most extensive testing effort in our history. The massive industry support infrastructure now in place for Windows NT should make corporate users confident that Windows NT is, as promised, an extremely powerful, reliable and open solution for client-server computing."

Widespread Industry Support

The computer industry is responding to this major milestone with a large outpouring of third-party support. Windows NT has been tested for compatibility with more than 2,800 computers, printers and peripherals. More than 70,000 development kits for Windows NT have been shipped, and more than 2,000 new 32-bit applications for the Microsoft Windows* and Windows NT operating systems are being developed for release over the coming months. These new applications will add to the base of tens of thousands of existing applications for the Windows and MS-DOS* operating systems that can be run without change on Windows NT. More than 15,000 people at 3,000 companies have been trained under the Microsoft Solution Providers program to offer end users high-quality training and technical support worldwide.

Leading computer hardware manufacturers, such as Acer, Compaq Computer Corporation, Dell Computer Corporation, ICL, Olivetti, SNI and more than 25 others, will ship Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server pre-installed on their high-end computer systems. "We are thrilled to see the availability of Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server," said Casey Powell, CEO, president and chairman of Sequent Computer Systems, Inc. "Corporate customers are voicing high demand for Sequent's WinServer family of symmetric multiprocessing systems running Windows NT. Clearly, Windows NT is a great applications server for business-critical solutions."

These initial releases support both the Intel* x86 and MIPS R4400-based platform. In addition, Microsoft and Digital Equipment Corporation expect to have the Alpha AXP* version of Windows NT available within 60 days.

Users Praise Power, Stability, Open Architecture

NASA is taking advantage of the portability and reliability of Windows NT with a range of networked RISC, symmetric multiprocessor computers and x86 uniprocessor computers to manage its Mission Planet Earth project, which analyzes and consolidates two terabytes of satellite-based geographic information per day. "Windows NT is highly robust and stable and is truly a next generation operating system," said Dr. Briscoe Stephens, manager of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. "Microsoft has taken the best parts of the operating systems that exist today and put them into Windows NT, while reducing the expense of training employees because of its ease of use."

The Arizona Department of Transportation will use Windows NT and Windows NT Advanced Server as a platform for a workgroup CAD solution. "Stability and single network log on are the biggest issues for my business," said Cliff Barnett, EDP programmer and analyst, Arizona Department of Transportation. "Windows NT is a much more stable platform, security is tighter and log on is greatly simplified. We don't have to keep track of 30 different passwords anymore. And using the Windows interface with Windows NT is a real benefit. Our employees have seamless access to the operating system without having to think about what platform they are using."

Nordstrom, a leading West Coast-based retail chain, is rolling out an enterprise-wide inventory and sales management system based on Windows NT technology and large NCR multiprocessing systems. "After studying many alternatives, Nordstrom chose Windows NT Advanced Server for its new enterprise management system," said Larry Shaw, PC coordinator at Nordstrom. "We made this choice because of the clear advantages Windows NT offers in the area of distributed systems management, control and security. The Windows NT Advanced Server makes our administrator's job much easier by offering a single log-on feature plus remote administration and management capabilities. These features give Nordstrom the ability to administer all of its stores from one central location."

Microsoft and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows NT and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Windows NT is a trademarked product name.