Even ahead of Windows Server 2003's launch, the shift is causing some confusion. During press briefings at the Microsoft Management Summit last week, confusion arose over statements Brian Valentine, senior vice president over the Windows division, made about Longhorn. Last year, Microsoft scrapped the release of Longhorn Server. But some press reports interpreted Valentine's comments to mean Microsoft would release the product after all. Valentine's "comments were a real reflection of what he and some other people have been thinking about" getting Longhorn features out to customers "before the next major version of our server platform," O'Brien said. He emphasised that the next major server release would be Blackcomb. "I think what they will do when they release Longhorn is to release an update to certain Windows Server 2003 features on which there is a dependency," Cherry said. "For example, suppose they really modify the file system." Microsoft plans to introduce a new file system with the next version of SQL Server, code-named Yukon, and incorporate that into Longhorn. Microsoft's modular approach could have other benefits, particularly as the company attempts to divert a growing interest among businesses and governments in Linux. One problem is the perception that open source's cooperative approach delivers product updates faster. Frequent updates "makes open source -- as a community project management process -- look like a better development process," Cherry said. "By continuing to release features and slip-streaming them to customers by either CD or download (it makes) Microsoft appear as responsive as the open-source community development process." One of the biggest changes coming with the component approach will be with delivery. In the past, Microsoft included product enhancements with service packs that contained a collection of bug and security fixes. But many customers have balked at this approach. "Customers have been telling Microsoft for sometime that they don't want features in service packs," Gillen said. "You don't want all that extra stuff installing on your system. You just want to patch what you need to fix bugs." Separating features out from service packs also raises the possibility that Microsoft might charge extra for some pieces. But at least for the long list of updates already announced, that will not be the case, Microsoft's O'Brien said. "At this point in time there are no plans to charge for those components," he explained. "Those things add more capabilities -- power tools -- for our customers." Earlier, Microsoft left open the possibility the company could charge extra for either Greenwich or RMS. O'Brien said that won't happen. However, in the case of Greenwich, "We're looking at trying to deliver applications that take advantage of that plumbing, and that will come out of other (product) groups," he said. Microsoft could charge for those applications, which would be delivered about the same time Greenwich ships. O'Brien would not discuss the release to manufacturing of finished Windows Server 2003 code. "We're close" is as much as he would say. Conceivably, signing off on code even this week could potentially crimp the 24 April launch. But O'Brien dismissed those concerns. "Our commitment is this product will be in the channel for the 24th," he said. "On the server side of the business, we don't have the same type of constraints as the retail side and getting things into shrink-wrap boxes. In the server business, we have a lot more flexible model for getting (software) out to customers." Many businesses buy server software on new computers, which PC manufacturers could start shipping immediately. In recent years, Microsoft's practice has been to let computer makers ship systems with a new OS ahead of the official launch date. That was the case with Windows XP and Windows 2000. O'Brien wouldn't explicitly acknowledge whether this would be the case. But he said, "Technically, once we release this thing to manufacturing, (PC) makers can roll with it."
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