From 1 April 2006, Microsoft's Windows 2000 Server
family will no longer be available.
The announcement comes eight months after the introduction of
Windows Server 2003, the successor to Windows 2000 Server, and
almost four years after the Windows 2000 Server launch on 17
February 2000.
Retirement of Windows 2000 Server will be spread out over a
two-year period starting on 1 April. From that date, Windows 2000
Server and Windows 2000 Advanced Server will no longer be available
through the retail channel or through Microsoft's volume licensing
programs.
On 1 November, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server
and Windows 2000 Datacenter will be pulled from the direct original
equipment manufacturer channel. This means the products will no
longer be available from suppliers such as Hewlett-Packard that
have direct licence agreements with Microsoft.
A year later, system builders - smaller, local companies that
build servers from the ground up for customers - will stop selling
the Windows 2000 Server products.
Although products will no longer be sold, users in need of
Windows 2000 Server disc sets will be able to get those by buying a
Windows Server 2003 licence and exercising their downgrade rights.
Microsoft will have Windows 2000 Server disc sets available until 1
April 2006.
The phase-out schedule does not change support plans for Windows
Server 2000. Microsoft will end mainstream support on 31 March 2005
and extended support on 31 March .
The retirement schedule for the Windows 2000 Professional
desktop product had been announced earlier. OEM and retail
availability of that product is scheduled to end on 31 March 2004.
System builders can deliver the product until 31 March 2005.
Mainstream support for the desktop product is set to end on 31
March 2005 and extended support on 31 March 2007.
Joris Evers writes for IDG News Service