Allchin Defends Longhorn Decision to Microsoft Employees
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On Friday, Microsoft went public with an executive decision that's been brewing for the past couple of weeks. The company decided in order to keep Longhorn client ship dates from slipping further, it would remove the crux of Longhorn – the new Windows File System (WinFS) from the operating system. Read About Microsoft's Decision to Gut Longhorn And the Fact the WinFS Won't Ship in Longhorn Client or Server Microsoft issued a public press release about its decision and briefed a number of its core developer partners about its move. But here's what Microsoft Group Vice President of Platforms, Jim Allchin, told Microsoft's own employees about the decision.
I wanted to provide you with an update on our Longhorn progress, and several announcements we are making today that bring us closer to delivering Longhorn. Today, we're announcing that we are targeting broad availability of the Longhorn "client" OS in 2006 and the Longhorn server in 2007. We also will be making key elements of the Windows WinFX API developer platform that Longhorn provides available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. During this last year, we have been listening closely to our customers and partners as well as our employees. Now that we have completed Windows SP2, it is time to react to that feedback. Customers and partners love our vision – they would like parts of it sooner. This is what customers have told us they want as soon as possible, and this is what we will deliver in 2006:
In addition, our intention is to broaden the delivery of the Windows WinFX developer technologies — which include the new presentation subsystem "Avalon" and the new communication subsystem "Indigo" — to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. Allowing developers worldwide to target this existing installed base will create huge new opportunities for them and enable exciting new experiences for hundreds of millions of PC users. To ship the Longhorn client in 2006, we will deliver the new Windows storage sub-system, code-named WinFS, separately from the Longhorn release. The WinFS team has been making great progress and the new storage system will be in beta testing when the Longhorn client becomes available. We are on track to deliver the Windows Longhorn Server operating system in 2007. Our commitment to broad availability of the Longhorn client in 2006 and broadening the API set underscores our long-term vision for the Windows platform, and our desire to deliver high-quality innovations that our customers and developers are asking for in a timely fashion. We will not cut corners on product excellence. Our powerful vision is intact; our shipment plan changes will let customers get access to parts of the vision faster. With the decisions we are announcing today, I believe we are on a strong path forward to deliver an awesome Longhorn product that will provide incredible value to our customers, partners, developers, and shareholders. jim |
Comments (1)
This sounds to me like an obvious planted message, knowing it would be leaked to the press.
This doesn't sound like how you talk to employees, especially those who are insiders and see what's going on from the inside.
That's my opinion,
Bob
Posted by Bob Wilson | September 1, 2004 8:22 AM