The next version of Microsoft Internet Information Server, code-named K2, will integrate with Microsoft Transaction Server (code-named Viper), making communication between Web-based objects transparent to developers. The new release, due to enter beta by April, will be able to schedule and queue transactions using a new technology called Falcon. Confused? Basically, the next version of IIS will overcome the weakness of any single executable program to handle multiple transactions on the Web server. This will prevent users from getting error messages and blank Web pages while viewing an overloaded site while allowing developers to create simple ISAPI applications that run on the server in whatever language they choose: C++, Visual Basic, Delphi, Java, etc. One concern about the new IIS is that the Web server is becoming the central platform rather than NT. Microsoft, due to ship NT 5.0 this year, denies this, saying that Web technology evolves faster than OS releases will allow. K2 will be the second major release of IIS since NT 4.0 shipped last summer
