Microsoft Corporation this week announced its plans for the release of BackOffice 2000, its next-generation BackOffice product that will be built on the Windows 2000 platform. Once expected shortly after the release of Windows 2000, BackOffice 2000 has slipped dramatically with the delays of core components such as Exchange SQL Server. Microsoft now hopes to ship the server suite, which will include Exchange Server 2000, SQL Server 2000, Host Integration Server 2000 (formerly SNA Server), Systems Management Server 2.0 SP2, and Proxy Server 2000, by late 2000. Enhancements to the new version include easier branch office administration and monitoring, setup and deployment, and suite management, and integration with Active Directory.
Various components of BackOffice 2000 will ship throughout the remainder of the year. First up is Exchange Server 2000, which will leave the Microsoft stable on May 31, 2000. And Host Integration Server 2000 is due on July 5th, while SQL Server 2000 is set to ship July 26. In addition to its standard BackOffice suite, Microsoft will eventually release a version for Small Business Server customers (SBS) as well. The SBS releases generally follow the full BackOffice suite, however, so it's possible that the release of SBS 2000 has slipped into 2001.
Pricing for BackOffice 2000 has yet to be determined
