Microsoft Releases Japanese-Version of Windows Server 2003

Tokyo, June 25 (Jiji Press)–Microsoft Co. on Wednesday released the Japanese-language version of Windows Server 2003, a new server operating system with advanced security and management features, the company said the same day.

With the new OS, its parent Microsoft Corp. of the United States apparently aims to check any further market expansion by the open- source Linux system, which is emerging as a credible rival to Microsoft’s OS series.

The Japanese unit said that it has rigorously tested the security features of its new OS, which was launched on the U.S. market two months ago, in cooperation with other software and hardware makers.

Speaking at a press conference, Michael Rawding, the incoming president of Microsoft Co., stressed that the new OS should offer more security than Linux.

Rawding, now vice president of Microsoft, also argued that Linux- based server systems are not as cheap to operate as is widely believed.