• May 23, 2001 •
Microsoft Unveils Plans for 64-Bit Windows Platform
By: Arie Slob
Microsoft today announced two powerful new additions to its Microsoft® Windows® operating system family, built for the forthcoming Intel® Itanium™ 64-bit processor. The new versions of the Windows operating system for servers and workstations will support the most demanding scientific and technical applications, and massive enterprise and e-commerce applications, as well as the most popular business applications.
Microsoft's 64-bit Windows Advanced Server Limited Edition is scheduled for final release to coincide with general commercial availability of OEM Itanium-based systems. The workstation version, Windows XP 64-Bit Edition, will be fully supported through the Early Deployment Program before its final release on Oct. 25, when the product will ship simultaneously with Microsoft's 32-bit Windows XP desktop offerings.
"The 64-bit Windows platform is the best choice for customers who want to combine powerful, 64-bit computing with great price/performance and manageability, unmatched scalability, and broad hardware and software support," said Brian Valentine, senior vice president of the Windows Division at Microsoft. "Microsoft is fully committed to the Itanium program and is working closely with Intel, our customers and industry partners to ensure that Windows provides unmatched support for 64-bit computing and that the best of the industry's hardware and software is available when we launch."
"We welcome the introduction of Microsoft's 64-bit Windows platform for Itanium-based systems," said Paul Otellini, executive vice president and general manager, Intel Architecture Group. "The availability of the Windows platform for the Itanium family will continue the long-standing relationship between Microsoft and Intel and ensure that business enterprises, scientists and engineers will be able to take advantage of the full power of 64-bit computing on the Intel Architecture."
The 64-bit Windows platform addresses the expanding data needs of business, academic, engineering and scientific organizations that are pushing the limits of existing information technology platforms. Scenarios for 64-bit computing include the following:
- High-volume e-commerce and dot-com sites
- Large database applications, including online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining
- Digital content creation of complex 3-D graphics and animation for HDTV/DTV, games and motion picture animation
- Complex mechanical design and analysis, such as automotive and aerospace engineering
- Scientific applications and research, such as astronomy, human and earth sciences
On the server side, 64-bit Windows supports server consolidation, increased availability of scalable mid-range Windows 2000-based servers, and 64-bit application development. On the workstation side, Windows XP 64-Bit Edition not only supports technical and scientific applications, but runs popular 32-bit business and enterprise applications.