Microsoft Maelstrom: Systems builders cry foul
crn.com | at | by Mike
Solution providers challenged a top Microsoft channel executive during a public appearance last week, seeking answers to why the developer provides pricing advantages to large computer makers but not to the systems builder channel. The exchange, during a keynote address by Margo Day, general manager of Microsoft's U.S. Partner Group, galvanized systems builders last week at the Intel Solutions Summit here.
In her presentation, Day spelled out some details of the upcoming Windows Server 2003 launch, noting that Microsoft plans to roll out several flavors, including a Data Center Edition, Enterprise Edition, Standard Edition, Web Edition and Small Business Edition, on April 24. Day also repeated the vendor's plans to release in the fall new versions of Office and Exchange that lend themselves to potentially lucrative server, desktop and network upgrades.