And for all the differences with its predecessor, Windows 2000 looks and feels largely the same as NT 4.0. "There was no culture shock. We could get benefits without having to retrain the users," says Shourt.

Compaq is using Windows 2000 and Active Directory to complete a process that began when it merged with Tandem in 1997 and Digital Equipment in 1998. Windows 2000 will let Compaq combine all its resources--including thousands of machines and 85,000 employees--as objects in a single directory. "In the process, we'll get rid of all the artificial divisions that have kept the companies separate," says Brent Harman, senior operating environment architect at Compaq.

The artificial divisions were not just the result of three companies merging into one. Technical limitations in Windows NT 4.0 necessitated a domain structure that was large and expensive: Under NT 4.0, Compaq had 13 master domains for users and 1,800 resource domains for devices. Under Windows 2000, those will be collapsed into three master domains and 50 resource domains. With fewer domains sharing directory information, security is tighter and Compaq is able to reduce its domain administration staff by 50%.

Active Directory will give Compaq a centralized repository for information, such as an employee's name, address, phone number, aliases, and office location. This facilitates access to that information, as well as enforcement of companywide standards. Active Directory will eventually replace Zoomit Corp.'s Via metadirectory, which Compaq uses to synchronize directory information across applications. Zoomit was purchased by Microsoft in July.

Lack of interoperability between Windows NT 4.0 and Unix is another factor that has kept Compaq technologically fragmented. Compaq sells its own Digital Unix operating system, and its Tandem Himalaya servers are based on Unix. To support these products, a significant portion of the company's employees use Unix. Under Windows 2000, Compaq's internal Unix users will be able to log on to the Microsoft network to exchange mail and access company files or programs.

Compaq also expects Windows 2000 to reduce the cost of administering desktops by two-thirds. The company provides round-the-clock technical support to its staff worldwide. With Windows 2000, much of the repair and installation work that now requires a technician to visit the desktop can be done remotely over the network. When Compaq completes its Windows 2000 deployment next year, its support centers will adopt 8 a.m.-to-5 p.m. schedules, and service calls will be routed to wherever the sun is up.

Implementation of Windows 2000 requires planning and testing, and because the user company's resources must be organized hierarchically in Active Directory, preparation is particularly critical and time-consuming. Active Directory makes it possible to centralize resource administration for an entire company, but it also allows delegation of administration privileges to lower levels.

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Photo of Shourt by Tom Keller