NCR deals blow to Windows NT

Microsoft?s claims for Windows NT in mission-critical environments were marred at the launch of NCR?s high-end database built for the operating system, writes Gavin Clarke.

At the launch last week, NCR executives advised users not to adopt Teradata for Windows NT in large mission-critical environments, and instead to run Teradata on Sun Microsystems? Solaris version of Unix.

NCR executives will not endorse Teradata for Windows NT for more than entry-level use until Micro-soft improves its operating system?s scalability and resilience.

The port to Windows NT aims to embrace NT?s growing popularity and increase sales in the entry-level data warehouse market.

NCR?s public concerns are a blow to Microsoft, which is aiming to elbow Oracle out of the high-end data warehouse market.

Speaking at the launch, Microsoft chief executive Bill Gates said: ?We like to have Teradata as a partner. It will make sure Oracle?s life is interesting.?

NCR vice president of data warehouse marketing Dan Harrington said: ?There?s no doubt Unix is more reliable and robust. A lot depends on the mission criticality of the application.?

This view was backed by existing NCR customers. One Reuters user who deployed Teradata on Unix said: ?I would never put my data warehouse on NT until I could see it could scale.?