NT takes lead from Novell as sales soar

Microsoft claims NT Server sales doubled in the UK last year, and has lined up a host of friendly analyst reports to support its arguments.

A crop of research studies suggest that almost two-thirds of new intranet sites deploy Windows NT Server, and users cite both the cost and time to install as major selling points.

IDC says that sales of NT Server worldwide grew by 85 per cent in 1996, and Computer Intelligence?s recent surveys of European and US users also indicate rapid adoption of NT.

Aaron Goldberg, executive VP of Computer Intelligence, said: ?It was the number one server operating system in 1996, outshipping all versions of Novell Netware and Unix in the Intel-based server market.?

UK users still lag behind the US in take-up of NT, but the indications are of strong, consistent growth. Romtec analysts say Windows NT has been the best selling network operating system in the UK for six months. Total channel shipments take Microsoft to a powerful market position with 42.7 per cent (or 49.6 per cent of new sales).

John Ces, senior analyst with Romtec, adds: ?1996 has been an exceptional year for Windows NT Server. When it was first released, the majority of sales came through large corporate resellers, but the past year has seen a far broader acceptance.?

Microsoft?s Mark Hassall, product manager for the Backoffice corporate software, claims growth is a ?direct result of customers? acceptance of Windows NT Server, with built-in Internet Information Server, as the platform for intranets and internet sites?.

A study by Telecommunications Research Group shows that NT Server is now the leading platform for intranets, accounting for 62 per cent of new UK intranet server installations during the last quarter of 1996.