News

Microsoft Hits Million Mark With 2000 Server

• By Scott Bekker
• 02/07/2001

Microsoft said in a press release that licenses for Windows 2000 Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server will hit the magical million mark sometime in February, coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the release of Windows 2000.

"The 1 million server mark is strong feedback from our customers that the Windows 2000 Server family is delivering the reliability and business agility they need to stay ahead of the curve in the fast-paced digital economy. We're delighted at the response from customers, as well as the growth opportunity this represents for Microsoft," Microsoft president and CEO Steve Ballmer said in a statement.

It has not been easy for Microsoft to reach this point. Sales of Windows 2000 Server have lagged far behind that of Windows 2000 Professional, the desktop version of the OS, and Microsoft has been loathe to release sales figures. Last December, analyst company IDC reported that Windows 2000 Server shipments were picking up steam, and that by the end of 2001, they would account for 56 percent of total Windows Server shipments.

Although Microsoft has claimed since its release that 2000 Server sales were meeting expectations, it’s clear the company was disappointed at the sluggish rate of adoption in corporate networks. Windows 2000 Server is Microsoft’s answer to critics who have long claimed that Windows NT is not scalable or reliable enough for mission-critical use in enterprises, and its less than robust sales were a sore spot for Redmond.

In fact, those sales may have led to the departure of one high-level executive within the company. As previously reported by ENT, Jim Ewel, whose main responsibility was marketing Windows 2000 Server, quit the company in January amid speculation that he may have been forced to leave due to Microsoft’s unhappiness over sales figures. - Keith Ward