[THIN] Microsoft plans Windows 2000 Server retirement
- From: "Steve Greenberg" <steveg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 10:51:38 -0700
Microsoft plans Windows 2000 Server retirement
The two-year phased retirement begins April 1, 2004
Story by Joris Evers
DECEMBER 18, 2003 ( IDG NEWS SERVICE ) - Microsoft Corp. will gradually
phase out its Windows 2000 Server family, the company said yesterday.
Effective April 1, 2006, the products will no longer be available.
The retirement announcement comes eight months after the introduction of
Windows Server 2003, the successor to Windows 2000 Server, and almost four
years after the Windows 2000 Server launch on Feb. 17, 2000.
Retirement of Windows 2000 Server will be spread out over a two-year period
starting on April 1, 2004. From that date, Windows 2000 Server and Windows
2000 Advanced Server will no longer be available through the retail channel
or through Microsoft's volume licensing programs, the software maker said in
a posting on its Web site.
On Nov. 1, 2004, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server and
Windows 2000 Datacenter will be pulled from the direct OEM channel,
Microsoft said. This means the products will no longer be available from
vendors such as Hewlett-Packard Co. that have direct license agreements with
Microsoft.
A year later, on Nov. 1, 2005, system builders -- smaller, local companies
that build servers from the ground up for customers -- will stop selling the
Windows 2000 Server products, Microsoft said.
Although products will no longer be sold, users in need of Windows 2000
Server disk sets will be able to get those by buying a Windows Server 2003
license and exercising their downgrade rights. Microsoft will have Windows
2000 Server disk sets available until April 1, 2006, the company said.
The phase-out schedule doesn't change support plans for Windows Server 2000.
Microsoft will end mainstream support on March 31, 2005, and extended
support on March 31, 2007, the company said.
The retirement schedule for the Windows 2000 Professional desktop product
had been announced earlier. OEM and retail availability of that product is
scheduled to end on March 31, 2004. System builders can deliver the product
until March 31, 2005. Mainstream support for the desktop product is set to
end on March 31, 2005, and extended support on March 31, 2007, according to
Microsoft's product life-cycle Web page.
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