IDC slams press over reporting of NT ‘success’

They don't give an accurate picture of where NT is really being used. Can't think who IDC means...

Research outfit IDC has criticised media reporting of NT's success, and says that Microsoft's skills in "momentum marketing" have resulted in a false message being put out about the product. As the momentum marketing programme for Win2k cranks into action, it would be as well to bear that in mind when reading the media. According to a new report, Strategies for Windows NT in the Enterprise: "Media reports of Windows NT's acceptance have not given a clear picture of where and when Windows NT is really being used... [they] often leave the impression that Windows NT is being adopted by organisations of all sizes for every conceivable mission and that organisations are abandoning their investments in other operating environments." The reality, says IDC, is that Microsoft's "momentum marketing" turns "reports of strong growth in revenues, software licence shipments, or clients being supported into a message that Windows NT is becoming the de facto standard." Presumably IDC means that Microsoft is putting this information out, and it's largely going into the press, unchallenged and highly-spun. Despite what you read in the papers, IDC sees few organisations abandoning investments in other software. NetWare is most often used for file and print, directory and communications services, while Unix is most often used for transaction processing, database support, and support for custom commercial and technical applications. "In many cases," says IDC, "Windows NT has been brought in to work alongside the operating environments that were already in place in the mid-1990s -- supporting the organisation's applications portfolios rather than replacing them. "Windows NT's major use is as a departmental infrastructure server, for things like file/print, messaging, and communications, rather than as a major enterprise server running mission-critical applications." ®
