News

Gartner: Consider Dumping IIS

In the wake of Code Red and Nimda, analyst firm Gartner urges enterprises running Microsoft Corp.'s IIS Web server to take a hard look at switching to the open-source Apache or Sun-Netscape's iPlanet.

"Gartner recommends that enterprises hit by both Code Red and Nimda immediately investigate alternatives to IIS, including moving Web applications to Web server software from other vendors, such as iPlanet and Apache," a recent Gartner bulletin from analyst John Pescatore says.

Pescatore acknowledges that those competitive Web servers have had their security breaches and patches, but he notes that IIS patches arrive "almost weekly."

The need to patch IIS servers regularly, and their high profile as a hacker target give IIS a higher total cost of ownership in Pescatore's opinion.

"Gartner remains concerned that viruses and worms will continue to attack IIS until Microsoft has released a completely rewritten, thoroughly and publicly tested, new release of IIS," Pescatore writes. Gartner predicts that such a rewrite won't occur before the end of next year.

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.

Most   Popular