The application compatibility monster is again rearing its head as Microsoft Corp. prepares to release the Windows Server 2003 family in April.
And although the Redmond, Wash., software developer is working with ISVs, partners, system integrators and component vendors to address as many potential problems as possible before April, some customers, leery about compatibility issues, may initially balk at the upgrade.
"I can see hardware, client and all kinds of other issues cropping up," said Jim Lambright, an IT manager with Roth Manufacturing Corp., in New London, Ohio. "From what I have been told, none of my applications will run on .Net without a major upgrade. It"s the proverbial cash double whammy, which leads me to consider not changing anything."
Lambright recently moved all printing operations to a Microsoft network from one based on software from Novell Inc. However, he said, the Windows 2000 servers and Exchange lack the stability he had with Novell.