Microsoft's turning tide may strand customers
Published: 15 Mar 2004 14:00 GMT
Microsoft sees its near-term future as a series of "waves" of software that are key to its growth during the next couple of years. But with those waves slow to reach shore, the company -- and its customers -- may feel like they're caught in a riptide.
For months, Microsoft has talked about a "Yukon" wave of products that would hit this year and a "Longhorn" wave that would follow a year or two later. The first wave is tied to the next version of SQL Server, known as Yukon, as well as to updated developer tools, known as Whidbey.
Those products were scheduled to arrive later this year, but Microsoft said on Wednesday that the updates won't come until sometime next year, about six months later than the latest expected release date.
Meanwhile, the company won't even offer a date for the following wave, which is centred around Longhorn, which is the next version of Windows. Microsoft has said that product will pave the way for a new server OS and a new version of Office, as well as various server software products and developer tools.
These delays and lack of clarity on ship dates are creating challenges for both Microsoft and its customers. Pushing back the delivery of Yukon and Whidbey will cause cascading delays to Microsoft's server applications and tools, although it will not be on the order of six months, according to the company.
"Everything that SQL Server touches, which is a lot of products, will be impacted, but it's not as though it's a major reset for any of those products. There's not a six-month domino effect for every other product," said Harley Sitner, senior product manager in Microsoft's Windows Server System group.
Sitner said individual development teams that rely on SQL Server or components of Visual Studio will have to "work through" the delays and adjust their own schedules accordingly.
Some Microsoft customers have also felt the ripple effect. Financial services company Reuters always allows for some slip in schedules, but the latest delays are disappointing, said Bill Evjen, the technical director of development at Reuters.
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