There will be performance improvements and cool features in Microsoft's new server, but if an enterprise is a volume licensing customer or an NT 4.0 shop, the choice to upgrade may be no choice at all

This month's release of Microsoft's Windows Server 2003 will be welcome news for some enterprise players, such as in-house application developers and perhaps some Internet service providers. For others, it will be like walking the plank: They may not want to go forward, but they will be unable to go back -- or even maintain the status quo. At least, that is the view of some analysts who have been examining the latest OS from Redmond. While some important features are included in this release, the question, "Should my company upgrade?" is irrelevant for many CIOs. Support for older Windows operating systems is expiring, and in some cases, Microsoft's volume licensing deals mean companies have already paid for the new software. These two factors will force many a CIO's hand. Windows NT 4.0, still a widely used platform in many enterprises, will reach its end-of-life at the close of 2003, meaning no more support will be forthcoming from Redmond. Companies that decide to upgrade will find that Win2003 is their only choice. "There's really no other way to go, save moving to another platform," Gartner vice president David Smith told the E-Commerce Times. "If you want to continue to use Windows, you won't really have any other choice after 4.0 is no longer supported."