Microsoft to Unveil Management Strategy

Microsoft Corp. is expected to unveil the next steps in its extensible and
interoperable operations management services for its server operating
systems and server-based applications next week.

The Redmond-Wash.-based company will reveal its management strategies at a
telecommunications and networking event, NetWorld+Interop 2001 at the Las
Vegas Convention Center. The event is being presented by Key3Media Group,
Inc.

In a prepared statement, David Hamilton, director of product marketing for
management technologies at Microsoft, said “This is a great opportunity for
Microsoft to demonstrate its commitment to providing customers with the
products and services they need to operate in today’s enterprise.

Microsoft said it would introduce a new product that delivers operations
management capabilities. Company officials could not be reached by press
time.

The conference comes at a time when Microsoft is scheduled to roll-out its
Windows XP operating system this summer. The operating system is expected to
patch together code found in Windows 98 with Windows 2000, as well as
provide new ways of music and video play-back.

In today’s announcement, the company said Cliff Reeves, vice president of
marketing for Microsoft Windows .NET server product management group, would
introduce the new product strategy. Microsoft said it would provide
courseware and trainers at its pavilion to educate IT managers in its new
services.

Microsoft’s Reeves will be joined by other executives at the conference,
including Network World’s editorial director John Gallant. Intel’s CEO Craig
Barrett; Gururaj Deshpande, co-founder and chairman, Sycamore Networks,
Inc.; Juniper Networks’ chairman, president and CEO Scott Kriens; James
Richardson, senior vice president, Cisco Systems; SBC Communications senior
executive vice president — services Ross Ireland; and Network World’s
editorial director John Gallant.

The software giant is expected to demo its drawing and diagramming software
product, Microsoft Visio 2002, which was
reported as recently released
last week. Visio 2001 is the first upgrade since the software giant
purchased the product’s original manufacturer, Visio Corp. in September
1999.

NetWorld+Interop provides networking, Internet and telecommunications
professional buyers with a forum for education and hands-on products and
services to make purchase decisions.

The event,
which takes place from May 6 to May 11, will include tutorials in TCP/IP,
DSL, IP multicast, Voice IP, wireless, security, MPLS, Ethernets, IPv6, QoS,
mobility and service provider transport. Key3Media Group said tracks would
also include, effective outsourcing, vendor management and building a
profitable MAN service.