News

Gearing Up for DevDays '99

Microsoft Corp. is gearing up for next week when it will unleash a slew of announcements regarding Windows 2000 and its developer tools at DevDays '99 around the country.

One of the biggest announcements will be Internet Information Services 5.0 (IIS) with new technology for load balancing across Web servers for increased usage and better performance. There will also be emphasis on designing applications using the new COM+ services with support for loosely coupled events.

According to sources, Microsoft will announce what has been called Beagle thus far, a Visual Basic setup wizard that replaces the old one for simpler installations.

While Visual Studio 7.0 isn't due to come out until sometime next year, Microsoft will be releasing Visual Studio 6.0a and a readiness kit that will help leverage COM+ as well as support for XML since the BizTalk Framework and Server are due to come out later this year.

While DevDays '99 is on Wednesday, September 15, Microsoft's new Developer Division will be holding a press briefing on Monday, hosted by President Steve Ballmer and group vice president Paul Maritz to make some announcements and outline the company vision for the next generation of Web applications. -- Brian Ploskina

About the Author

Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.

Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.