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 Microsoft has been stung into action by Gartner security analyst John Pescatore's conclusion that businesses should ditch IIS - the Beast's own web server - for safer alternatives. 
Redmond is telling its sales channel that a rewrite of IIS is underway for version 6.0, and will introduce interim security measures along the lines of the lock-down utility, because, it says, "we also realize customers cannot wait that long." 
Most remarkably, it's even mulling whether to leave the web server IIS - along with many other services - uninstalled by default. 
The comments are in a bulletin sent to its sales staff and resellers, and seen by The Register. 
 
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