Microsoft Corp and Intel Corp used the WinHEC 99 conference this week to demonstrate a prototype of a new iMac-style out-of-box server appliance for small businesses. Based on Redmond’s embedded NT and Intel technology, the companies said the server is designed as an all-in-one, fixed function hardware device to enable small businesses, with 25 employees or less, to network their PCs for sharing internet access, peripherals and applications. Vince Mendillo, Microsoft’s lead product manager for embedded Windows NT told ComputerWire that the two companies have been working on the device for about a year. The first beta versions of the servers will be released in the third quarter with full roll out of the final product to OEMs by the end of the year. Mendillo said the two companies were in discussions with several OEM partners about manufacturing the servers but added it was too early to name any names. Systems are expected to retail for around $2,000.
The system uses Remond’s embedded NT OS, which Microsoft has tweaked to optimize it for the small business environment, Mendillo said. The enhancements include an improved web-based user interface for set up, disk mirroring and fault tolerance as well as a built in firewall and caching technology for secure net access. Intel has developed a set of reference hardware – motherboards, chassis, bios and so on – and added additional manageability features, fail safe indicators to detect when errors occur, an LCD panel to display ongoing status and functionality and special power management features which prevent the system from shutting down if a user mistakenly presses the off button. The message to small businesses is two-fold, said Ahmet Hussein, Intel’s product line manager for the server appliance program, first, the system is easy to use. It’s designed so that it can be taken out of the box and set up and running within thirty minutes. And secondly, it’s reliable.
Hussein said that Intel and Microsoft decided to develop the server in response to user demand and to take advantage of the four million plus US businesses not currently running a network. If you add Europe to the that figure, it comes to around ten million businesses that don’t operate on a network, and that’s without considering Asia and Japan. It’s a very large market opportunity for us, he said. He also cited current figures from the analyst firm IDC research, which said that network adoption among PC-owning small businesses with fewer than 20 employees is less than 30%. Microsoft chose to use its embedded NT (based on NT version 4.0), as opposed to the full blown release of the OS because of its ability to provide headless support, Mendillo said, which means it automatically boots up without the use of a keyboard, mouse or screen. The embedded OS can also be divided up into different functional components, which OEMs can then select for inclusion into their systems. They may want the kernel component or a particular stack or set of management services, Mendillo explained, and they may want the complete system. It’s up to them to customize the server as they choose. The KDF (kit definition file) also allows OEMs to add additional functionality and features, he said.
He added that Microsoft and Intel will continue to work together to develop other, fixed function devices. Although he wouldn’t give any specific details, he said customers had expressed interest in such things as dedicate proxy servers and telephony appliances. The standard version of embedded NT is currently in beta with 600 OEMs and will be commercially available for inclusion into products including communications devices, ATM machines and kiosks by the end of the year.
