HP And Compaq Outline Windows 2000 Strategies

As the release date of Microsoft Windows 2000 approaches,the market for providing migration services is beginning to take shape. Hewlett-Packard and Compaq Computer today will outline their Windows 2000 services strategies, two months after IBM Global Services' similar announcement.

Each vendor's offering is structured differently, but they share a common strategy. Companies such as HP, Compaq, and IBM are "emphasizing preparedness because Windows 2000 is more complicated than simply a migration from Windows NT," says Tony Adams, a senior analyst of software integration and support services for Dataquest. "We don't know what Windows 2000's adoption rate will be this year, but for most businesses, the move will be inevitable over the next three to five years."

As much as 40% of HP's middle-to-large enterprise customers are expected to deploy Windows 2000 this year, says David Stubbs, general manager of Microsoft Services Operation for HP's customer service and support group. Consequently, the Windows 2000 services HP announced today are designed to help clients be more strategic in the implementation of Windows 2000 and include readiness assessment, active directory planning and design, server and storage consolidation, proof-of-concept testing, and Windows 2000 migration planning and implementation.

Says Stubbs: "Now that Y2K is over, a lot of customers are taking a look at how Windows 2000 fits into their enterprise environment.