IBM this week relaxed stringent requirements for running the highest-end version of its Windows server software, effectively lowering the overall price 30 percent in some cases and potentially expanding the pool of interested customers.
To minimize crashes, Microsoft and server makers have tightly controlled Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition, a product geared for critical tasks that run on powerful machines with numerous processors. For example, hardware, software and storage choices were limited to a small number of certified configurations, and a customer had to purchase support services from the server maker.
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