Chapter 15: Windows Present and Future: Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Computing, and Beyond

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As the last two chapters demonstrate, many changes in Windows have particular relevance to the enterprise. The transition from NT to Windows 2000, the addition of Advanced Server and Datacenter Server versions of the Windows 2000 family, and the arrival of Windows XP have all served to make Windows a far more viable platform for mid-sized and large enterprises. The immediate future holds the promise of even greater change. The impending release of Windows Server 2003 and future releases such as Longhorn and Blackcomb, as well as the arrival of 64-bit architectures on the scene, demonstrate that Microsoft is dead serious when it comes to providing enough scalability to match mid-range stalwarts such as Sun and Hewlett-Packard, and possibly even take on IBM with mainframe-class Windows platforms. Certainly, Windows platforms will keep getting bigger, more reliable, and more scalable. Our look down the road begins with an examination of .NET and Windows Server 2003. Then we cover 64-bit computing, still a nascent technology but one destined to render 32-bit computing a thing of the past within a few years (who uses 16-bit these days?). Finally, we try to predict what lies ahead for Windows to see how the enterprise computing landscape might unfold.

Microsoft's .NET

Never shy of promising Hall of Fame numbers from fresh-out-of-high-school rookies, Microsoft is touting its .NET strategy as being the way to seamlessly link applications running on the complete range of computing platforms. A wide array of Web services allows applications to communicate and share data over the Internet; employees and customers are able to access data any time at any place on any device. So, is .NET a swish or an airball when it comes to living up to the hype, and what is it exactly? Representing a fundamental shift away from the client-server architecture, .NET applies to everything from desktop operating systems and handhelds to the way enterprise-class servers talk to each other. Windows Server 2003 is the first to incorporate .NET features.

Just imagine if corporate or government online services were connected and integrated. This would make it so much easier for the consumer, the business customer, or the citizen to find out the information needed and the services available, and the key to achieving that level of functionality is integration of applications. But, how is it possible to integrate when so many platforms are running amid a sea of conflicting standards and architectures? Although companies may like the idea of complete integration of applications, they definitely do not want to have to deal with replacing multiple systems or converting everything to one single platform. So, let us investigate how Microsoft's .NET vision relates to solving the integration puzzle.

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