64-Bit Windows Server 2003 takes on Unix head to head
InternetWk | at | by Mike
The pending launch of Windows Server 2003 will be a milestone not only for Microsoft, but for the other half of Wintel, too. It's been eight years since Intel got into the server market and two years since it shipped a 64-bit processor, the Itanium. On April 24, a 64-bit version of Windows that takes advantage of Intel's 64-bit design will become generally available.
For Intel, "that's a pretty big deal," says Lisa Graf, the company's director of enterprise processor marketing. It means Windows-on-Intel servers can finally claim a degree of parity with their Unix-on-RISC competition. That's significant because Intel-based servers account for more than 80% of units that ship, but slightly less than half the revenue, analysts say. Intel wants to swing more of the high-end market in its direction. "We're very much focused on continuing to scale up," Graf says.