Microsoft will roll out Windows Server 2003 on April 24 in versions for 32-bit X86 and 64-bit Itanium processors. It will also roll out a version of its database software SQL Server 2000 supporting 64-bit Itanium systems. The 32-bit versions of the OS only support systems with up to 32 processors and 64 Gbytes memory.

The software launches represent another small milestone in Intel's ten-year effort to bring Itanium to market. "This should help at least the perception that Itanium is still moving along," said Kevin Krewell, senior analyst at the Microprocessor Report.

It may be some time before OEMs make use of the new high-end capabilities of Windows on Itanium. Hewlett-Packard, which helped co-develop Itanium, is currently listing only two- and four-way Itanium systems on its Web site.

HP demonstrated a 64-way Itanium version of its high-end Superdome system at the Intel Developer Forum earlier this year. However currently HP is shipping 16- to 64-way Superdome systems based on its PA-RISC processors and HP-UX variant of Unix.

Both NEC and Unisys are shipping 32-way Itanium systems, said Lisa Graff, director of enterprise processor marketing for Intel. Using Windows Server 2003 and the 64-bit SQL Server, NEC's 32-way Express5800 system got top marks on the Transaction Processing Council's TPC-C benchmark, beating a system based on IBM's Power4 processor, she added.

Separately, Microsoft rolled out a version of its desktop Windows XP operating system supporting the 64-bit Itanium late last month. To date, HP is the only company shipping a workstation based on Itanium, Graff said.