High-end golf gear maker PING Inc., winter sports equipment manufacturer K2 Sports, and Italy’s centuries-old inspective police force Guardia di Finanza don’t have much in common. But all three are among organizations that report cost savings, reduced risk, faster performance and other benefits since transitioning from a Microsoft Windows NT server environment to a Windows Server 2003 system.

More companies will be making the switch over the coming year, as Microsoft phases out support for Windows NT Server 4.0. To help these companies, Microsoft is offering a host of tools and resources, from free training courses, to reference materials and online guides, to services such as QuickStart and technology tools such as the Active Directory Migration Tool and IIS Migrator.

“Many NT4 customers would like to take advantage of the benefits provided by Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000, or Small Business Server 2003,” says Jim Hebert, general manager of Microsoft’s Windows Server Marketing Division. “By taking advantage of the tools, guidance and trained Microsoft partners, many customers are finding the upgrade remarkably painless.”