Microsoft and key information technology partners are gearing up to launch the company's new server operating system next week, unfazed by economic uncertainties and low business confidence in software investments.
Intel, IBM, Dell Computer and Hewlett-Packard have joined recent initiatives by the software giant in Hong Kong and around the Asia-Pacific region to get customers in different industries to test Windows Server 2003 ahead of its general release.
With the global IT market still depressed, the sales pitch is focused on how the product can help organisations solve business rather than technology problems.
'Companies large or small face the same challenge of getting better value out of their IT infrastructure,' Microsoft Hong Kong product marketing manager Joelle Woo said. 'Windows Server 2003 provides businesses the power and flexibility required to increase productivity with fewer resources.'
Microsoft will unveil Windows Server 2003, along with application development tool Visual Studio .NET 2003 and SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition database, in San Francisco on April 24.
The new server operating system family includes standard, enterprise, data centre and Web editions. Windows Small Business Server 2003 will be released in the third quarter this year.