Whooping up the Longhorn Roundup

During keynote speeches at this week’s TechEd conference in Dallas and in an executive memo sent to employees yesterday, Microsoft talked up the importance of Longhorn, codename for the next version of Windows. The Longhorn chatter is interesting, but short on substance right now. Many companies would be better off doing what Microsoft should be doing: Focusing on the present.

It’s not unusual for Microsoft to pump up customers, employees and, most importantly, the press about the next, great thing that is supposed to make all our lives easier. Goals are good, and certainly Microsoft benefits from the public relations value of all those news stories, but many businesses have real needs that must be solved now--not in 2005 with Longhorn or whatever products come thereafter.

Talk of Longhorn should not distract Microsoft customers from their current OS plans. If anything, Longhorn may be good reason to refocus on current plans. Some good reasons:

*Windows 2000 and XP are good enough for most companies using Microsoft operating systems.

*There is no guarantee Microsoft will ship Longhorn in 2005. Remember, Microsoft delayed Windows Server 2003 three times over more than two years. The new file system planned for Longhorn is an ambitious undertaking and good reason to expect further delays.

*The new file system will need a serious period of shakedown, unless Microsoft finds some foolproof means of ensuring full compatibility with existing applications. That means many companies would want to wait 12 months or more--so as early as 2006--before moving to Longhorn.

Microsoft is right to stir up interest in Longhorn. The process stimulates employee enthusiasm and great PR through new stories. But what’s right for Microsoft may not be right for your business. Microsoft’s marketing motto for Windows Server 2003 is “Do More with Less.” Wouldn’t your business be better off if Microsoft helped you do more with what you have today rather than focusing on tomorrow’s promises?

Posted by Joe Wilcox at June 05, 2003 02:45 PM