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Microsoft
Unveils Developer Education Initiative for Windows 2000
Windows 2000 Readiness Program for Applications and
Developers Designed To Prepare Developers for Building New Generation of
Software REDMOND, Wash. - March 16, 1999 - -Microsoft
Corp. today introduced the Windows® 2000 Readiness Program for
Applications and Developers. This program provides software developers worldwide
with the resources they need to ensure that existing applications will be
compatible with the Microsoft® Windows 2000 operating system and
that future versions of applications will deliver new levels of reliability and
manageability for customers. This program will begin with the beta 3 release of
Windows 2000, which is scheduled for April.
"The release of Windows 2000 Professional and Windows
2000 Server will mark the introduction of a new generation of applications,
designed to lower costs and bring new levels of reliability to Windows
customers," said Brad Chase, vice president, Windows marketing and
developer relations at Microsoft. "The introduction of the Windows 2000
Readiness Program for Applications and Developers reiterates our long-standing
commitment to working closely with the developer community."
Microsoft has worked closely with corporate customers and
application vendors for more than a year to develop clear, concise guidelines to
help developers create applications that reduce cost of ownership for customers.
These guidelines are available today in draft form as the Windows 2000
Application Specification on the Microsoft Web site at http://msdn.microsoft.com/developer/winlogo/win2000.htm.
The specification provides a road map for developers using new Windows 2000
technologies, such as the Active Directory™ directory service and the Windows
Installer service. Applications that meet this specification will be eligible to
display the Windows 2000 logo.
"Compuware has used the Windows 2000 Application
Specification to design and deliver a powerful environment for managing Windows
2000-based applications," said Frank Slootman, vice president, EcoSYSTEMS
Lab. "Compuware's EcoSYSTEMS solution for application service-level
management eases the migration of business-critical enterprise applications to
the Windows 2000 environment. EcoSYSTEMS manages Windows 2000-based application
performance, availability and recovery with EcoTOOLS, EcoSCOPE and EcoSNAP,
respectively."
Windows 2000 Readiness Program for Applications and Developers
The Windows 2000 Readiness Program for Applications and
Developers will benefit individual developers and independent software vendors (ISVs).
The program will help ISVs ensure that existing applications are compatible with
Windows 2000. In addition, it will help developers creating new applications to
meet the Windows 2000 Application Specification. The program will deliver an
unprecedented range of development, training and testing resources, including
these:
"The seminar we attended proved to be a terrific learning
experience for Fujitsu," said Ron Langer, senior sales and technical
support manager, developer tools group at Fujistu Software Corp. "The tools
and resources provided by Microsoft will enable us to help our customers build
innovative solutions and applications on the Windows 2000 platform using our
advanced COBOL development environment."
The Windows 2000 Readiness Program for Applications and
Developers builds upon the comprehensive support that Microsoft provides to the
development community via the MSDN developer program and the MSDN ISV program.
For example, with the introduction of the Windows 2000 Readiness Program for
Applications and Developers, more than 8,000 ISV members worldwide will receive
in-depth information, resources and support. This will enable the ISVs to
guarantee that existing and new applications are ready for Windows 2000, thereby
ensuring that there are a wide range of Windows 2000-based applications
available to customers.
Windows 2000 Enables New Generation of Applications
The Windows 2000 Readiness Program for Applications and
Developers will help software developers follow the Windows 2000 Application
Specification to create applications that deliver new levels of reliability and
manageability on Windows 2000. Benefits of these new applications include the
following:
Microsoft is also working with third-party tool vendors to
make it easier for developers to create Windows 2000-based applications.
"InstallShield began working with Microsoft during the
early stages of Windows 2000 development to create a leading-edge Windows-based
installer authoring environment that will help ISVs produce next-generation
applications that take advantage of this key TCO-reducing technology," said
Brian Hall, vice president of marketing, InstallShield Software Corp.
"Programs such as the Microsoft Windows 2000 Readiness Program for
Applications and Developers and InstallShield's Early Experience Program provide
the ISV developer with all the required tools and knowledge to implement the TCO-reducing
features."
Availability
Developers will be able to take advantage of these new
resources when the beta 3 release of Windows 2000 becomes available in April
1999. ISVs will be able to learn more about this program and how to join on the
MSDN ISV Web site (http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnisv/).
Microsoft encourages developers and customers to review the current draft of the
Windows 2000 Application Specification at http://msdn.microsoft.com/developer/winlogo/win2000.htm.
The specification will be finalized by the beta 3 release of Windows 2000.
MSDN is the essential resource for developers, bringing
together everything they need to be successful, including tools, technologies,
education, information and technical events. More than 2 million developers use
resources provided by MSDN to create applications and solutions for the Windows
operating systems, the Microsoft BackOffice® family server
application suite, Microsoft Office desktop applications and the Internet. More
information on MSDN resources for developers is available at http://msdn.microsoft.com/developer/.
About Windows 2000
Windows 2000 Professional will be an ideal operating system
for businesses of all sizes. It will deliver on the traditional strengths of the
Windows NT® operating system by providing high levels of security,
reliability and performance. In addition, it will be the easiest version of
Windows yet for working with computers, setting up and configuring a system,
working offline and browsing the Web. For system administrators, Windows 2000
Professional will provide a more manageable desktop that is simpler to deploy,
manage and support, which translates into lower overall costs.
Windows 2000 Server (formerly Windows NT Server 5.0) is a
multipurpose operating system that delivers file and print services, advanced
application support, Web integration and communication server functions in an
integrated, cost-effective platform designed for the future. Building on the
strengths of Windows NT Server 4.0, Windows 2000 is even more scalable, highly
reliable, and easier and more economical to manage.
Windows 2000 Server delivers a comprehensive set of
distributed infrastructure services based on the Active Directory, the
multipurpose directory service that is scalable, built from the ground up using
Internet-standard technologies, and fully integrated at the operating system
level. The Active Directory simplifies administration, makes it easier for users
to find resources throughout an enterprise network, and provides the
infrastructure for directory-enabled applications and networking. Copyright (C)
1998-1999 The Active Network. All rights reserved.
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