Microsoft Corp, which failed dismally in its declared aim of taking 30% of the network operating system market and unseating dominant player Novell Inc, is trying again with a discounted bundle aimed at large corporate customers, says the Wall Street Journal: called BackOffice, it combines Windows NT 3.5 with SQL Server 4.21, SNA Server 2.1, Microsoft Systems Management Server, and Microsoft Mail and Exchange Server; to be announced this week, the new suite, which has cost $500m to develop, will cost $2,200 for each server, plus $310 for any personal computer capable of accessing any server on the network, estimated to be 30% to 50% cheaper than NetWare; Microsoft is simultaneously ending the discount that gave Windows NT at $1,500 a server for an unlimited number of terminal users; the new package will carry retail price of $700, plus $40 for each terminal.
