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In the beginning, there was .Net. Next up is NXT.
NXT is the name of Microsofts latest independent-software-vendor- targeted initiative. Via NXT, Microsoft is hoping to attract and incent ISVs with more than $5 million in revenue “who are ready to migrate or cross-platform to a Microsoft operating system or database,” according to the Microsoft NXT Web site.
According to the NXT site, Microsoft is looking to persuade more ISVs to move to the Windows Server System of products (Windows Server, SQL Server, BizTalk Server, System Center, etc.), as well as the .Net Framework.
“NXT is designed to make your migration easier and more cost-effective by giving you exclusive resources and benefits at each and every step to help ensure your transition to Microsoft is a success,” the NXT Web site said. “We recognize changing or adding a platform is a big decision. You need solid business reasons to back that decision and top-notch support to see it through.”
While Microsofts site doesnt spell out the products from which it is hoping to persuade ISVs to migrate, Unix and Linux are the main competitors to Windows Server.
Microsoft has yet to unveil publicly all the details of the NXT program. Company officials did not respond to a request for more information on the program by the time this article was published.
However, Microsoft has lined up a set of what it is calling NXT “delivery partners.” These vendors are charged with helping the ISVs “execute [their] migration process,” according to the NXT site. All of these partners have a “strong track record in delivering cost-effective migration solutions,” the site contends.