ABSTRACT
As the last two chapters demonstrate, many changes in Windows have particular relevance to the enterprise. The transition from NT to Windows 2000, the addition of Advanced Server and Datacenter Server versions of the Windows 2000 family, and the arrival of Windows XP have all served to make Windows a far more viable platform for mid-sized and large enterprises. The immediate future holds the promise of even greater change. The impending release of Windows Server 2003 and future releases such as Longhorn and Blackcomb, as well as the arrival of 64-bit architectures on the scene, demonstrate that Microsoft is dead serious when it comes to providing enough scalability to match mid-range stalwarts such as Sun and Hewlett-Packard, and possibly even take on IBM with mainframe-class Windows platforms. Certainly, Windows platforms will keep getting bigger, more reliable, and more scalable. Our look down the road begins with an examination of .NET and Windows Server 2003. Then we cover 64-bit computing, still a nascent technology but one destined to render 32-bit computing a thing of the past within a few years (who uses 16-bit these days?). Finally, we try to predict what lies ahead for Windows to see how the enterprise computing landscape might unfold.
