Digital and Microsoft Form Alliance for Enterprise Computing
Customer Update
DESCRIPTION
Digital and Microsoft combine strengths to bring Windows-based solutions to
the enterprise.
This alliance for enterprise computing combines complementary strengths:
Customer Update at a Glance
August 15, 1995
Digital and Microsoft Form Alliance for Enterprise Computing. Digital and
Microsoft Corporation have established a formal alliance to provide a
complete set of IT products, services, and field support to meet the needs
of enterprise customers. The alliance includes substantial funding by
Microsoft of Digital's service, support, and systems integration
capabilities; commitment by Digital to certify at least 1,500 new Microsoft
Certified Systems Engineers; commitment by Microsoft for products on Alpha
based systems; cross-licensing of patent portfolios; and licensing of
Digital clustering technology to Microsoft for inclusion in future Windows
NT solutions.
SERVICES
Technology Migration Services for Windows 95. Digital's Multivendor Customer
Services organization has created a Technology Migration Services program
especially for the release of Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system. Its
goal is to assist IS organizations and business managers by managing all
aspects of migration: assessment, planning, the migration process, and
post-implementation support.
HARDWARE
BackOffice Servers. Through an agreement with Microsoft Corporation, Digital
will offer a family of BackOffice Servers that feature the Microsoft
BackOffice suite of client/server software products on selected AlphaServer
systems and Intel based Prioris PC servers. The BackOffice software family
consists of Windows NT Server as the network foundation, Microsoft SQL
Server for managing and storing data, Microsoft SNA Server for host
connectivity, Microsoft System Manager Server for managing PCs and servers,
and Microsoft Mail Server for distributing information.
AlphaStation 600 5/266 and 5/300 Rackmount Workstations. The first Digital
workstations to use the Alpha 21164 chip, these rackmount workstations offer
leadership price/performance, expandability, and multiple system
integration. The systems are available as System Building Blocks so they can
be configured to meet users' unique application requirements.
Midrange RW532 Optical Library. The newest addition to the RW500 series, the
RW532, with its four magneto-optical (MO) drives and 76 GB storage capacity,
joins the redesigned two magneto-optical drive RW531 with 38 GB capacity in
the midrange position. These products offer lower cost, faster performance,
family compatibility, and increased reliability.
SOFTWARE
Windows NT Workstation 3.51 and Windows NT Server 3.51. Windows NT
Workstation 3.51 is the workstation operating system that provides the power
of a workstation with the ease of use, productivity, and compatibility of a
personal computer. Windows NT Server 3.51, the server edition of the Windows
NT operating system, goes beyond the capability of Windows NT Workstation to
provide a network that is easy to set up, manage, and control.
PATHWORKS Support for Windows 95. Digital is introducing PATHWORKS software
support for Microsoft's Windows 95 operating system on the day of its
release. PATHWORKS will support Windows 95 through client support and server
support.
POLYCENTER Manager on NetView V4.1 for Digital UNIX. V4.1 uses a
client/server model to provide a distributed network management solution for
heterogeneous multivendor devices and open networks requiring Simple Network
Management Protocol (SNMP). Enhanced security is provided via DCE security
services, and the distributed architecture enables significant customization
of the user interface.
RUMBA OFFICE for Digital V2.0 and RUMBA Packages for HP and Internet. RUMBA
OFFICE for Digital V2.0 software is a single package that provides RUMBA for
AS/400, RUMBA for Digital Hosts, RUMBA for Mainframe, and RUMBA for HP
software. RUMBA for HP allows users to access both HP9000 and HP3000
systems. RUMBA for INTERNET adds a suite of Internet applications to the
RUMBA software.
Digital Rdb to Oracle Rdb Upgrade Program. This program makes it easy and
cost-effective for users who have Digital licenses for the Rdb database to
trade them in for Oracle licenses. The program enables users to upgrade
their systems to fully exploit the latest technology in Digital hardware and
Oracle Rdb software -- without changing existing applications.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
o Release Strategy for DECnet/OSI for OpenVMS
o PCI RAID and SCSI Controllers for Prioris Servers
Microsoft
- Leading vendor of client/server software and applications
- One application programming interface and user interface for
client/server software and applications
- Industry-leading independent software vendors (ISV) support for
Microsoft Win32-based client/server applications -- unified OLE-based
object strategy with greatest ISV support
o Digital
- Leading multivendor software connectivity and services for all
enterprise systems including: MVS, OpenVMS, and UNIX -- global reach
of award-winning enterprise deployment, services, support, and system
integration
- Leading client/server products extend availability, integrity,
performance, and scalability to the highest levels of the enterprise
-- broadest range of Windows-based systems (Intel and Alpha) for
volume and value
- Enterprise-level integration of Win32 and object technologies
Digital and Microsoft have established a formal alliance to provide a
complete set of Information Technology (IT) products, services, and field
support to meet the needs of enterprise customers.
Microsoft and Digital customers worldwide will be the first to benefit from
this next wave of Windows-based enterprise solutions. In addition, customers
in mid-size and large companies striving to combine the best aspects of
client/server technology with the higher level of service and support
required in complex organization-wide solutions can take advantage of this
alliance.
Distributed client/server solutions bring customers the advantages of
application availability, productivity, low cost, and flexibility. Customers
are increasingly looking to Windows-based systems to play a larger role in
their businesses.
Microsoft Windows-based products have become the industry focus of
client/server environments. Through leading-edge technology and Independent
Software Vendors (ISV) support, Microsoft systems are now the most extensive
client/server solutions available.
Enterprise customers have additional requirements to implement
organization-wide solutions, which are widely distributed, of enormous
scale, and require highly responsive service, support, and systems
integration. These solutions also need to work with existing multivendor
environments.
Digital is the leader in providing the enterprise platforms, software,
support services, and global reach that scale to any enterprise requirement.
Digital expertise and experience is attuned to enterprise requirements in
complex multivendor system environments.
Customers benefit today
Customers can leverage the complementary corporate technology, services, and
business strengths of the two companies to provide the complete solution
required by enterprise customers.
o Windows-based solutions -- Customers can deploy Windows-based solutions
with confidence that they can be integrated into even the most complex
enterprise environments.
o Maximize existing investments -- Customers can leverage existing IT
investments in systems, software, and networks while gaining the next
wave benefits of client/server business applications.
o Single focus for comprehensive support -- Customers can rely on Digital
as a single point of support for global deployment, management, support,
systems integration, and service of enterprise computing solutions.
o End user productivity -- end users can access all corporate resources
from their familiar Windows interface.
Delivering real value
Digital and Microsoft are aligning resources to deliver real value for
enterprise customers in three key areas:
o Service, support, and systems integration
o Products and technologies
o Joint customer activities
Service, Support, and Systems Integration
Both companies will fund a major expansion of Digital's capability to
support Microsoft-based solutions. Customers can now implement Windows-based
solutions with the assurance of global support through the combination of
Microsoft client/server products and Digital's leadership in networking
services, systems integration, deployment, and support of client/server
environments.
Microsoft and Digital will accelerate the expansion of Digital's worldwide
Multivendor Customer Services and Systems Integration businesses by funding
1,500 new Microsoft certified engineers at Digital, in addition to Digital's
existing 800 Microsoft certified professionals. Digital will field the
largest group of Microsoft certified engineers in the world.
Enterprise customers can immediately benefit with the following new or
enhanced offerings:
o Onsite and remote support from Digital's Expertise Centers, local service
offices in more than 100 countries, and 29 Microsoft Authorized Support
Centers -- more than any other Microsoft Solution Provider.
o Help Desk Service offerings for end users and MIS professionals that
cover Microsoft client/server technologies with three levels of support:
User Application, Professional, and Premium with 24x365 (24 hours a day,
365 days a year) coverage.
o Global product deployment and asset management services via the Microsoft
Select Program and Digital's POLYCENTER Assetworks solution to help
customers control and manage software and hardware assets throughout the
enterprise.
o Technology Migration Services for Windows 95, which include assessment,
planning, migration, and ongoing support. (See the "Technology Migration
Service for Windows 95" article in this issue.)
o Focused, specialized system integration expertise in industry, project,
and configured solutions through expertise centers worldwide.
Microsoft and Digital will further cooperate to meet the needs of enterprise
customers through Microsoft's selection of Digital for the Launch Support
Team of Windows 95 in the United States, and for the Enterprise Migration
Program, which assists resellers in successfully migrating corporate
customers to Windows 95 and Microsoft Office for Windows 95.
Products and Technologies
Microsoft and Digital engineering organizations are cooperating to meet the
needs of enterprise customers. Digital engineering personnel are on site at
Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, campus, directed by a joint management
committee. These engineering resources are focused on Alpha-related
Microsoft product engineering and joint integration development work.
Microsoft assists other Digital engineering and service groups through
access to source code and technical consulting services for their Digital
engineering work.
Microsoft and Digital have cross-licensed their respective patent
portfolios. This allows both companies to freely engineer solutions for
customers using the best intellectual property in the industry. Engineering
resources and cooperative efforts are focused on four areas:
o Windows NT on Alpha systems
Digital and Microsoft are fully committed to Windows NT on Alpha systems.
Digital offers Alpha-based Windows NT systems to extend the performance,
expandability and scalability of Intel-based systems from Digital and
other vendors.
Microsoft's commitment to Alpha results in:
- Microsoft BackOffice and other server software will be released
simultaneously on Alpha and Intel systems. (See the "Backoffice
Servers" article in this issue.)
- Microsoft Office and other client software will be released
simultaneously on Alpha and other RISC systems.
- Microsoft and Digital are collaborating to maximize Alpha performance
on key products. An example is the latest Microsoft SQL Server
benchmarks on Alpha -- the best price/performance in the industry.
Digital will soon be introducing a family of Alpha- and Intel-based
systems specifically optimized for Windows NT.
o Microsoft licenses Digital cluster technology
Microsoft has licensed Digital's cluster technology for Windows NT and is
incorporating it into Microsoft's future clustering solutions. Cluster
technology will enable a set of Windows NT systems to act as one. Digital
is the industry leader in the development of cluster technology --
Digital cluster technology for Windows NT won the "Best Technology of
Show" award at COMDEX.
By including this technology for Windows NT Server, Microsoft is
accelerating acceptance of Windows-based solutions into a wider segment
of the industry.
Digital will introduce its initial version of Windows NT clusters into
the market first and will converge on the common Microsoft solution when
it is released. Digital will ensure that early users can easily move to
the Microsoft Windows NT product.
Digital has extensive expertise in the support and installation of
cluster systems. As the developer of cluster technology, Digital is the
leader in providing these support services. Digital is also extending
these services to support Windows NT cluster customers.
o OpenVMS integration with Windows NT
On May 8, 1995, Digital and Microsoft announced plans to integrate
OpenVMS software with Windows NT. Microsoft will help Digital meet its
commitment to make OpenVMS software the industry's most integrated system
with Windows NT by providing access to source code and engineering
consulting resources.
The seamless integration of OpenVMS software with Windows NT will enable
OpenVMS customers to combine proven enterprise strengths of OpenVMS
software with the new foundation of Windows NT applications.
This integration also will enable the creation of new Windows-based
solutions with the very high-end attributes of OpenVMS software. These
attributes include true 24x365 availability, disaster tolerance, and
scalability to the world's largest clusters.
Digital's expanded integration efforts include:
- Applications support: Win32, OLE, MFC, and other WOSA APIs on OpenVMS
software; OpenVMS API access from Windows NT; integrated LAN services;
ObjectBroker, COM/OLE, DMQ, TCP/IP, and DCE available on both OpenVMS
and Windows NT software.
- Data and system management: printer and queue management; make OpenVMS
software manageable from Windows NT; common cluster APIs for
applications on OpenVMS software.
- Integration of OpenVMS software with Microsoft BackOffice: BackOffice
APIs on OpenVMS; OpenVMS server component for BackOffice.
- New OpenVMS features to extend Windows NT: new log structured file
system, with client on Windows NT, and server on OpenVMS software to
automatically provide Windows NT applications with still higher
availability and scalability; 64-bit support services; kernel threads.
o Integration of mail products
Microsoft and Digital have exceptional and complementary products to
address enterprise requirements in electronic mail.
Microsoft is supporting Digital's integration of ALL-IN-1 and MailWorks
products with Microsoft Exchange Server and clients. This move will
enable the five million users of ALL-IN-1 and MailWorks to easily use
and/or access Microsoft Exchange Server functionality. Digital's mail
backbone will give Microsoft Exchange users access to other mail
environments.
Digital's enterprise mail backbones will embrace Microsoft Exchange
Server, as groups within Digital adopt Exchange-based applications.
Digital will extend its industry-leadership enterprise mail customer
support services to Exchange.
Digital UNIX interoperability with Windows NT
Where customers have a clear requirement for or substantial investment in a
UNIX infrastructure and need to encompass Microsoft technologies, Digital
UNIX combined with Windows-based solution is an obvious choice.
Digital is an industry leader in multivendor integration of UNIX systems in
the enterprise. Digital UNIX provides customers with the most complete
interoperability with Windows-based environments and provides them access to
64-bit applications that take advantage of the large memory addressing and
performance of the Alpha architecture.
Digital UNIX provides:
o Out-of-the-box interoperability between Windows and Windows-based
solutions and UNIX
o Enterprise security, system management, and storage management
o Object interoperability via COM/ObjectBroker
o Win32 API support
ISV recruitment
Applications availability is a key reason for the wide acceptance of
Windows-based solutions in the enterprise. Digital and Microsoft are jointly
targeting key ISV application providers to expand the enterprise solutions
portfolio.
Microsoft and Digital together are recruiting current Windows NT ISVs to
ship their products on Alpha systems.
Digital is encouraging ISVs for OpenVMS software to focus development of new
enterprise applications using Win32, OLE, and other WOSA APIs. This will
enable them to deploy new applications on both OpenVMS and Windows NT
platforms.
For targeted three-tier applications, Microsoft and Digital will encourage
ISVs to use Win32 APIs on OpenVMS to obtain such enterprise capabilities as
24x365 operation support, disaster tolerance, and the greatest cluster
scalability.
Development kits for the integration of OpenVMS with Windows NT environment
are under development by Digital and others. Tools will first be available
from Fort, Inc.
Joint Customer Activities
Strong field implementation and joint marketing will ensure coordinated
customer delivery of the service, support, systems integration, and products
outlined above. Enterprise customers require this coordination to deploy and
depend on widely distributed client/server solutions.
Rollout of joint activities has already begun in the field, building on
existing programs:
o Joint customer seminars have begun in Japan, Brazil, and other locations
worldwide.
o Trade show activities, such as those at Networld+Interop.
o Demos, such as those at ObjectWorld.
o Joint advertising planned for the fall will cover Windows 95, Windows NT,
integration, and services.
o Windows NT, UNIX interoperability pavilion at UNIX Expo.
o Cross-training of both companies' sales forces is planned. It will cover
Microsoft products and Digital service, support, and systems integration
services, and complementary enterprise system and software products.
Digital also will establish Microsoft Competency Centers worldwide to
support customers implementing enterprise solutions with Microsoft and
Digital products. The first center will be established in the Seattle,
Washington, area.
Joint field engagement
Both companies will commit local field personnel and worldwide regional
management to work jointly to engage major customers.
Regional field managers for each company will manage the local
implementation of joint marketing plans. They will designate Digital and
Microsoft people to work together at the local level.
Each quarter, a Microsoft and Digital corporate-level marketing and sales
committee will meet to manage and direct joint field activities.
Summary
Microsoft and Digital are focusing resources to bring customers the benefits
of the next wave of enterprise computing. Customers will benefit by
integrating the best Windows-based solutions in a complete, dependable
enterprise environment, with comprehensive, global support.
For more information contact local Microsoft and Digital sales offices or
consult the companies' home pages:
o http://www.microsoft.com/backoffice
o http://www.digital.com
__________
Microsoft and Win32 are registered trademarks and Windows and Windows NT are
trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.
UNIX is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries licensed
exclusively through X/Open Company, Ltd.