Microsoft plan combines best of both worlds
Combine the best of the Internet's worldwide web approach with the best of client-server architecture and you have Microsoft's intranet strategy.
Basically, Microsoft's plan is to take the best of both worlds and integrate it into its product offering. Microsoft's theory is that Internet-intranet are just extensions of client-server technology and bring the benefits of client-server technology to a much broader audience.
Intranets and the Internet provide an exciting opportunity for companies to leverage their existing information and knowledge while making business solutions more broadly available within and between organisations.
'The Internet is like a magnifier of the operating system,' said Peter Davidson, Hong Kong Microsoft's product manager business systems division. Truly, the trend is to use the Internet not only for files service but also for more and more applications service, especially since Microsoft is pushing Windows NT as the preferred environment for the client side, both for large corporate and small businesses.
One of the main strengths of Windows NT is that it supports native internet protocols for email, groupware and browsing. Part of the company's internet strategy has been to embrace industry standards and offer cross-platform products so users can move to Windows more easily.
Mr Davidson said a lot of companies in Hong Kong had invested in AS 400 or even mainframes that were not working together. 'You should be able to carry forward what you have and integrate it to Windows NT,' he said.
Microsoft widened its offering of operating systems for the client side by providing Windows environment for almost each of the devices used for accessing the Internet: from Windows CE, designed for hand-held devices, to the coming Windows Terminal the company is about to launch.
Windows Terminal is meant to answer the operating system requirement for the network PC (or NetPC), a concept Microsoft has put forward along with other IT vendors, namely Intel, Hewlett- Packard, Tandem and Digital.
The network PC is a scaled-down PC complete with a hard drive, basic Windows applications and management tools with the main aim of lowering the cost of ownership. 'Hot-wired' features mean it can be easily managed, substantially lowering the level of competence needed to implement a network within a company.
The NetPC is Microsoft's answer to another concept of an even more scaled- down computer, the Networked Computer, proposed by a consortium formed between Oracle, Sun Microsystems and Netscape.
'We are talking about convergence, merging and easier management,' Mr Davidson said. Another future sign of integration will be the embedding of the coming version of Internet Explorer 4.0 - to be launched this summer - into Windows 95 and Windows NT.
