NT5 - Not Until 2000!
I've been weathering all your insults for weeks predicting delays in NT 5, now Gartner agrees with me.
Any disputes from the peanut gallery?
GartnerFlash 7/2/98 -Microsoft Misses Major NT 5.0 Commitment
EVENT: On 30 June 1998, Microsoft announced the
delay of the second beta of NT 5 until "sometime
during the summer." In conjunction, Microsoft
announced a previously unplanned beta three
program.
ANALYSIS: The beta software for NT 5 released at
Microsoft's Windows deployment conference this week
in San Jose, Calif. is an interim release of beta one.
We expect Microsoft will release a beta version of NT
5 marketed as "beta two" in 3Q98 (0.7 probability);
however, this beta should not be considered feature-
complete since Microsoft acknowledges that code may
be present for some features (e.g., Terminal Server)
that is not stable for testing purposes The fully
functional, feature-complete beta of NT 5 that beta two
was promised to be will now become beta three. We
expect beta three by 2Q99 (0.7 probability).
RECOMMENDATION: Enterprises waiting on NT 5
should:
-Limit testing efforts with beta one and beta two.
Beta three will be made more widely available and
will provide a test-worthy, working, feature-
complete version of NT 5.
-Not expect to see a shipping version NT 5 available
until the first half of 2000. We have downgraded
our expectation for general availability of a
reasonably stable, feature-complete release of NT
5 until at least the first half of 2000 (0.7 probability).
-Not plan on NT 5 production deployments until at
least year-end 2000. We reiterate our
recommendation that all NT 5 deployments wait at
least until the first major working service pack is
released, expected six to nine months after general
availability of NT 5. Larger deployments utilizing
Active Directory or Zero Administration Windows
should wait 12 to 18 months after the service pack,
i.e., well into 2001.
With the delay in NT 5, we expect Microsoft to
aggressively push other revenue-generating products.
Enterprises should:
-Ignore pressure from Microsoft that an upgrade to
NT 4 positions an organization for an easier
upgrade to NT 5
-Delay deployments of NT 4 until 1999 to obtain
expected pricing discounts and promotions from
Microsoft
SERVICES: Local Area Networking and NT Strategies
ANALYSTS: Neil MacDonald, Joe Barkan and Michael
Gartenberg |
