Anilrgowda

Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates kicked off the 16th annual Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) yesterday by highlighting the strong sales momentum and positive customer and partner response to Windows Vista in its first 100 days of availability. Gates showcased the tremendous wave of innovation and new technologies now available for businesses and consumers.

Gates also unveiled the name for the next major Microsoft Windows platform release: Windows Server 2008, formerly code-named Windows Server "Longhorn". In addition, Gates announced new hardware makers and third-party software solutions for the upcoming Windows Home Server. "A wave of great new hardware products from our partners has played a major role in the strong demand we've seen for Windows Vista," said Gates. "Going forward, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will provide a platform for hardware innovations that will deliver more intelligent and compelling computing experiences for consumers and business users, driving increased demand for a wide range of new PCs and new devices."

Gates was joined by Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie, who discussed the future of hardware and software development on the Windows platform. Mundie emphasized that for customers to fully benefit from hardware improvements in the years ahead, developers must create applications that take advantage of multicore processors and the increased power and computing resources they provide.

Underscoring the opportunities Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 provide to hardware partners, Microsoft released results of a commissioned research study from IDC showing the economic impact the two products are expected to have in the U.S. market. Titled "The Economic Impact of Microsoft's Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 in the U.S.", the study predicts that for every dollar of revenue Microsoft will earn in 2008 from Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, the technology ecosystem beyond Microsoft will reap approximately $18. IDC also predicts that in 2008, this same ecosystem will sell more than $120 billion in products and services revolving around Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Also of note is the predicted 20% gain in overall Windows-related employment in 2008 that IDC attributes specifically to Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.

"The impact of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will reach far beyond Microsoft," wrote John Gantz, chief research officer and senior vice president of IDC. "Overall, the advent of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 will help local economies grow, improve the labor force, and support the formation of new companies. In addition, the indirect benefits of using newer software will help boost productivity, increase competitiveness and support local innovation."

Gates announced that nearly 40 million Windows Vista licenses have been sold as of 100 days after its January launch, confirming that Windows Vista is the fastest-selling operating system in history. A driving factor in the early success of Windows Vista is the accelerating shift to digital lifestyles and the desire for richer computing experiences, as evidenced by the demand for premium editions of Windows Vista, which have accounted for 78% of Windows Vista sales. Windows Vista is the most broadly supported operating system Microsoft has ever released. For instance, there are now more than 10,000 hardware and software products that have passed rigorous testing processes to earn either a Works with Windows Vista logo or a higher-performance Certified for Windows Vista logo, served to products proven to deliver a superior experience with a PC running Windows Vista. Thousands of additional software titles and more than 1.9 million devices are compatible with Windows Vista today.


Microsoft said the Windows platform continues to support the industry's most innovative and varied set of computing experiences. During Gates' keynote address, partner technologies leveraging the connection and sharing scenarios made possible by Windows Rally technologies, which enable homes to create a fully functional wireless network capable of sharing content such as streaming high-definition video, were demonstrated. One such product taking advantage of Windows Rally is from Buffalo Technology Inc.

"Buffalo's customers and resellers have been very enthusiastic about the Wireless-N Nfiniti Dual Band Router, and having the Certified for Windows Vista logo has only augmented that excitement," said Morikazu Sano, senior vice president of global sales and marketing at Buffalo Technology. "The N Nfiniti Dual Band Router is the first Certified for Windows Vista wireless router available today, which is a testament to our commitment of providing solutions that are up-to-date with current market trends with products that are compatible with Microsoft's latest operating system."

Gates underscored that Windows Server 2008 is a key component to the next wave of hardware innovation, which includes support for virtualization, multicore processors and 64-bit applications. Just three weeks after its release, the new Beta 3 version has been downloaded more than 100,000 times, and Windows Server 2008 development reflects Microsoft's most extensive customer- and partner-centric feedback program for server development to date. This is evidenced by enhancements to features such as the Server Core installation option, Server Manager, Internet Information Services (IIS 7.0) and inclusion of Windows PowerShell, said Gates.

Also as part of the keynote address, Gates demonstrated how Windows Server 2008 administrators can spend less time on day-to-day tasks and more time adding value to their businesses with Windows Server 2008 Security and Policy-Enforcement features that work together to provide advanced access, control and protection at the network, application and data layers.

As part of its commitment to the overall Windows platform, Microsoft said it is working with chip-makers, original equipment manufacturers, independent software vendors and developers to help ensure that the ecosystem necessary to support the general availability of Windows Server 2008 is in place.

Windows Server 2008 builds on the improved reliability, security and manageability of Windows Server 2003 R2 to help alleviate pressures on IT professionals today by adding enhancements to further automate daily management tasks, tighten security, provide a more extensible platform for hosting and Web applications, improve efficiency and increase network availability. When Microsoft releases Windows Server 2008 to manufacturing later this year, it will include the first widely distributed beta of the new hypervisor-based virtualization technology.

Gates also demonstrated Windows Home Server and announced new hardware partners for the upcoming product, which include Gateway Inc., LaCie and Medion International. The company also announced that it will release a version of the software for system builders, named eight independent software vendors that will provide applications for Windows Home Server, and revealed its plans to kick off the Code2Fame Challenge for developers to create Windows Home Server hardware and software add-in solutions.



Delivered on hardware from leading partners and slated for release later this year, Windows Home Server helps families with more than one PC easily centralize, share and protect their digital pictures, music, documents and videos.

"Digital devices and digital media are now an essential part of so many aspects of our lives, and their importance continues to grow," said Gates. "With Windows Home Server, we're launching a new category of consumer products that will make it much easier for people to connect to their digital content and share experiences with friends and family no matter where they are."

Later this year, HP plans to deliver the HP MediaSmart Server, powered by Windows Home Server software. Original equipment manufacturers Gateway, LaCie and Medion will also deliver hardware products powered by Windows Home Server, extending the range of easy-to-use solutions that will be available to consumers. Gateway is a technology pioneer, offering PCs, servers and related products. LaCie is a leader in external storage solutions for consumers. Medion will demonstrate its product, code-named Medion Home Server, at WinHEC this week. The product will have storage options of 500 GB up to 2 TB and will offer Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-compliant universal plug and play media streaming based on PacketVideo Connect software. It is scheduled to ship by the end of 2007.

Microsoft also announced that Windows Home Server will be available to the system builder channel, further broadening the scope of the home server product category. Using this version of the software, system builders worldwide will have the resources and flexibility to provide customized, targeted Windows Home Server products to meet the needs of a wide array of customer segments.

As a software platform and an "always on" device in the home, Windows Home Server offers independent software vendors tremendous opportunities to build innovative products for the digital home, such as protection against viruses and malware, media sharing capabilities, home security and home automation. Microsoft has announced several software vendors supporting Windows Home Server with their applications:
- Diskeeper Corp.'s Diskeeper 2007 software will support Windows Home Server to enhance system speed and reliability.
- Embedded Automation Inc.'s mControl software will integrate with Windows Home Server to help consumers manage home lighting systems, security cameras, climate control, and audio and visual components.
- F-Secure Corp. software will interoperate with Windows Home Server to help protect consumers against computer viruses and other threats from the Internet and mobile networks.
- Iron Mountain will integrate its data protection services with Windows Home Server.
- Lagotek Corp.'s Home Intelligence Platform for home automation will support Windows Home Server.
- PacketVideo Corp.'s PacketVideo Connect will enable DLNA 1.0-certified, DLNA 1.5-compliant and universal plug-and-play media streaming from Windows Home Server to a variety of entertainment devices in the home.
- Riptopia CD loading service for Windows Home Server will convert and load a customer's entire CD collection for storage and protection on Windows Home Server.
- SageTV media server software for Windows Home Server provides a complete, "always on" digital entertainment experience for the enjoyment of personal media and online content on any TV or PC screen, at home or away, with SageTV Placeshifter software.

In addition, HP has developed software to run on Windows Home Server within the HP MediaSmart Server, including an enhanced Windows Home Server console, Web photo sharing and media sharing.

Microsoft also announced the Windows Home Server Code2Fame Challenge, which will offer recognition and cash prizes for developers of Windows Home Server hardware and software add-ins. Using the Windows Server and Windows Home Server software development kits, contestants will create software applications and hardware elements that are designed to enhance the customer experience with Windows Home Server. Code2Fame Challenge winners will be announced later this year, with cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000 and $1,000 awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winners respectively in the hardware and software categories. Official rules are available at Windows Home Server Code2Fame Challenge.

Making his final WinHEC appearance, Gates emphasized that Microsoft continues to foresee a wealth of opportunity for innovation on the road ahead. He concluded his keynote address by turning the podium over to Mundie, who discussed Microsoft's vision for the future of the computing industry. Mundie focused his remarks on how trends such as multicore technology, concurrent software and contextually relevant computing will transform the hardware and software ecosystem, signaling the need for a rich, diverse mix of software, services and devices. According to Mundie, those device requirements coupled with external market dynamics will represent both challenges for technology innovation and opportunities to make "a positive difference in the lives of consumers and society as a whole."