Microsoft's Application Server Technologies Gain Momentum in the Enterprise

Strategic Insights -

Key companies such as Compaq, Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC), and 1-800-FLOWERS are adopting Microsoft's application server technologies to develop successful products and solutions in the enterprise. These companies are leveraging the powerful features of Microsoft's application server, including COM, Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS) technology, Internet Information Services (IIS), and Active Server Pages, to create scalable and high-availability applications.

Key Takeaways:

  • Compaq has dedicated worldwide architecture services labs to Microsoft's application server and Windows Distributed interNet Applications (Windows DNA) technologies, indicating a significant investment in the development of skilled developers.
  • Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC) has established a dedicated practice specializing in the delivery of enterprise-scale solutions using Microsoft's application server technologies, further demonstrating the growing adoption of these technologies.
  • Independent software vendors such as ONTOS Inc. and XtremeSoft Inc. have created applications that take advantage of the rich Microsoft application server technologies, providing scalable and cost-effective solutions to customers.
  • Enterprise customers such as 1-800-FLOWERS and Scandinavian Airlines are running high-volume businesses on Microsoft application server technologies, highlighting the reliability and performance of these technologies.
  • According to Forrester Research, 46% of the Fortune 1,000 companies interviewed use Microsoft Transaction Server as their application server, indicating a significant market adoption of Microsoft's application server technologies.
  • Microsoft's application server technologies provide a comprehensive set of integrated services and tools for building enterprise applications, including support for building Web-based applications, transactions, a unifying component model, database connection pooling, and load balancing.
  • These technologies are widely used, mature, and provide language choice and a unified component model, making them a popular choice for enterprise application development.
  • The integrated technologies composing the Microsoft application server include Microsoft Transaction Server, Active Server Pages, Internet Information Service, Microsoft Message Queue Services, and Component Object Model.

Statistics:

  • 46% of the Fortune 1,000 companies interviewed by Forrester use Microsoft Transaction Server as their application server (Forrester Research).
  • Compaq has dedicated worldwide architecture services labs to Microsoft's application server and Windows DNA technologies.
  • CSC has established a dedicated practice specializing in the delivery of enterprise-scale solutions using Microsoft's application server technologies.
  • 1-800-FLOWERS runs its core business on Microsoft's application server technologies, handling over 40,000 orders per day.
  • Scandinavian Airlines operates an average of 1,000 flights per day around the world and allows its customers to access its reservation system via the Web, making travel plans and reservations in just minutes using Microsoft technology.

Sources:

  • Microsoft Corp. (February 24, 1999)
  • Compaq Computer Corp. (February 24, 1999)
  • Computer Sciences Corp. (February 24, 1999)
  • ONTOS Inc. (February 24, 1999)
  • XtremeSoft Inc. (February 24, 1999)
  • 1-800-FLOWERS (February 24, 1999)
  • Scandinavian Airlines (February 24, 1999)
  • Forrester Research (no specific date mentioned)