Since its launch back in April 2003, Windows Server 2003 has proven to be the most successful ever server operating system offered from Microsoft. In the space of two years it will overtake its predecessors, a feat that took Windows 2000 Server three years to achieve. New deployments have grown by 375% with more and more deployments being assigned to the more business critical end of customer's needs such as Line of Business application support and Database deployment.

Favourable press and analyst reviews are another key driver, backing up Microsoft's messages around the strengthened security, improved performance and scalability, rock solid reliability and increased efficiency through better management tools that Windows Server 2003

Tie that together with some great customer success stories and the market momentum has increased dramatically.

So why would a customer want to upgrade to or install Windows Server 2003? The vision for Windows Server 2003 is to enable organisations to "Do More With Less".

Helping customers lower their overall cost
Simon & Schuster, a New York publisher were in the process of upgrading their database when they realised their existing UNIX hardware could not cope with the demands of the new system. They evaluated Windows Server 2003 and RedHat Linux. With Windows Server 2003 they discovered they were able to reduce complexity and reduce their support costs by 75%. Having deployed Windows Server 2003 (a transparent exercise to their 900 employees) they are now saving just under $200k per year compared with their UNIX environment.

Reliability and Uptime
The Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs required a way to ensure that all their 500 servers and 3000 desktops based across 156 countries were getting the IT updates they required for system security and reliability. The challenge was doing this efficiently, without having IT staff fly around the world or alternatively having an IT administrator at each location. With Windows Server 2003 and other tools in Microsoft's management stable they were able to consolidate 150 domains to 1, provide centralised support and remote management. Getting these updates out quicker builds confidence in the system at these remote sites.