Microsoft Software to Require 64-bits

64-bit computing may not be taking off on the desktop due to a lack of drivers and applications, but Microsoft is preparing to force an upgrade on the server side. The company announced at the IT Forum in Barcelona Tuesday that it would drop support for 32-bit systems in upcoming product releases.

Exchange Server 12 will be one of the first updates to become exclusively 64-bit, requiring an Intel or AMD processor with 64-bit extensions and an x64 version of Windows Server. The new release is currently slated to launch in early 2007, around the time Windows Server "Longhorn" is completed.

Although the Longhorn version of Windows Server will come in both 32-bit and 64-bit iterations much like Windows Server 2003, the Small Business Server edition will only come in 64-bit. Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003, which hit Beta 2 on Tuesday, will also not be available as 32-bit.

The Windows Server release after Longhorn, known as "Longhorn R2" and expected in 2009, will be the first operating system from Microsoft that's 64-bit only. 32-bit software applications will be supported, but not 32-bit hardware.

Likewise, Microsoft's "Centro" platform for midsize businesses that was announced in September will also be 64-bit only. Centro combines Windows Server, Exchange and management tools into a single all-in-one package.

While some may see the move to 64-bit as an unnecessary requirement to spur upgrades, Microsoft says customers will benefit in the long run and help to ease the migration.

"We are making big bets on 64-bit technology and working closely with our industry partners to enable a smooth transition for customers, so they can begin to realize the benefits of mainstream 64-bit computing," said Bob Muglia, senior vice president of Microsoft Server and Tools.

Still, the rush to make Exchange only available to 64-bit users has surprised some analysts.

"I do find strange that Longhorn Server will be 32-bit and 64-bit and not exclusively 64-bit until the "R2" release. See, if Exchange Server 12 is going to be exclusively 64-bit, then businesses taking the software are going to have to get Longhorn Server 64-bit anyway," explained Jupiter Research senior analyst Joe Wilcox.

"I expect a whole lot of this kind of thing to go on, extending a similar strategy during the 2003 release cycle," Wilcox added. "Customers looking to buy Product A will have to get Products B, C, and D, too."