An upgrade programme enabling current MicrosoftWindows NT Server 4.0 customers to easily migrate to Sun Microsystems' Cobalt Internet server technology and management tools has been announced. The benefits of such an upgrade, says Tertius Bezuidenhout, national SE manager at Sun Microsystems SA, include a dramatic decrease in the total cost of ownership (TCO) because no licence fees are applicable to the Cobalt server appliance.
"In addition to reduced rates, migrating to Cobalt also ensures uninterrupted operation of IT infrastructures while increasing the reliability and security of computing environments," he says.
The Sun program follows Microsoft's recently announced end-of-life plans for Windows NT Server 4.0. Bezuidenhout says that in SA thousands of NT Server 4.0 installations running mail, web and file services can now run these applications at zero cost, at the same time eliminating the complexities of running them.
"The Sun Cobalt appliance servers will provide high levels of security and performance for Web-centric workloads. Importantly, hundreds of Sun Cobalt units can be managed from a single control station management console, giving system administrators a lot of leverage to manage multiple Web-serving systems easily and effectively."
Server appliances, which are pre-configured and ready to plug-in directly from the box, allow even the most inexperienced, non-technical users to quickly and easily establish a secure network connection that includes applications such as email hosting, file-sharing, and web serving.
The Sun Cobalt Qube 3 server appliance extends secure Internet and intranet services to consumers and power users. These services enable home offices and small businesses to host their own web sites, set up their own e-mail systems, network home or office PCs, and protect their computing environments from Internet threats.
The Sun Cobalt RaQ server appliance, designed for web hosting, offers robust capabilities rivaling general purpose servers, is easy to use, quick to deploy and highly reliable without sacrificing privacy and security.
To ease the transition from Windows NT Server 4.0, Sun Cobalt server appliances provide secure, Linux-based application and system functions in a unified, easy-to-use, browser-based interface. "This shields the administrator from technical complexities and minimises the need for trained staff. This software layer also enables installation in minutes, thereby minimising downtime and increasing productivity," comments Bezuidenhout.
Unlike traditional general-purpose servers which require administrators to purchase and add individual - and often, expensive - applications one at a time, Sun Cobalt server appliances come pre-loaded and pre-configured with a comprehensive assortment of Internet service software, including e-mail, FTP, web publishing and file-sharing.
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