|
From the Editor
Different Looks at Windows
By Tom Haunert
From the desktop to the data center, Oracle's support for Windows continues to grow.
Welcome to the special Windows edition of Oracle Magazine. This collection introduces new Oracle products and key Oracle technologies that run on Microsoft Windows, reports on the experiences of customers who use these products, and demonstrates the value these products and technologies bring to customers using Oracle on Windows.
For Windows Specifically
Microsoft and Oracle have a history of cooperation dating back more than 20 years. Oracle has supported Microsoft platforms since 1985 and released Oracle Database for Windows NT in 1993. I remember that first database release on Windows NT well. In 1992-3, as part of my job at Oracle I was installing, testing, and documenting beta and production installations of Oracle Database Version 7 (Oracle7) on beta and production releases of Windows NT.
Oracle added native Windows features to the database on Windows NT, and in 1995, Oracle made its development tools and modeling and analysis tools available on Windows NT. Providing native, Windows-specific features for Oracle Database was an unsurpassed level of support for the database on Windows NT.
In addition, Oracle supports native development for Windows applications to run against Oracle Database on Windows. Oracle joined the Microsoft Visual Studio Industry Partner program in 2004 as a premier-level partner and has released updated free versions of both Oracle Data Provider for .NET (ODP.NET) and the Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio .NET plug-in in 2006. These new versions support both new Microsoft features, such as ADO.NET 2.0, and new Oracle features in Oracle Database 10g Release 2.
Oracle also supports customers in managing their Windows-based data centers. Oracle offers seven different plug-ins for Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control that allow customers to manage both their Oracle Database and key Microsoft server and .NET components from a single, integrated management framework.
For Students, SMBs, and Beyond
Oracle Database 10g Express Edition, Oracle SQL Developer, and Oracle JDeveloper provide a free production database and free development environment, ideal for developers, students, and ISVs (who plan to embed the database) who have invested in the Windows platform on the desktop. These portable products also run on Linux and are ideal for heterogeneous environments that need to support both Windows and Linux.
For small-to-midsize businesses (SMBs) running on a variety of platforms (including Windows), Oracle has bundled Oracle Database 10g Standard Edition One and Oracle Application Server 10g Standard Edition One, a scalable solution for database and Web application development and deployment.
For enterprises moving to service-oriented architectures (SOAs), the Oracle SOA Suite is available for Microsoft Windows platforms including NT, 2000, XP, and 2003. (It will support Microsoft Vista when that platform becomes available.)
Multiplatform and Native
Since 1985, Oracle and Microsoft have made history. To support students, SMBs, and enterprise customers using Oracle Database on Windows, Oracle has made the Windows release of the multiplatform Oracle database a priority. Oracle has also provided upgraded, custom, native Windows database and development tools, as well as offering new support for Microsoft Office-based database solutions.
Oracle worked with early beta releases of Windows NT and was the first company to release a relational database on that production platform. Oracle is working with Windows Vista and other Microsoft technologies today in order to provide Oracle customers with new solutions for Windows tomorrow.
Tom Haunert, Editor in Chief
tom.haunert@oracle.com
| 
Bookmark
