Today, Microsoft Corp. announced that Microsoft(R) SQL Server(TM) 2000 is the leading database on the Windows NT(R) and Windows(R)platforms, according to reliminary results released by Gartner Dataquest. The report indicates that SQL Server gained 38 percent of new database license sales on the Windows NT Server platform, up from 35 percent in 1999. In contrast, the nearest competitor had 37 percent on Windows NT Server, a 3 percent decrease from 1999. In addition, database sales for the Windows NT platform segment grew a total of 34 percent, twice that of the 17 percent growth experienced by UNIX RDBMS (relational database management systems).

"This report indicates that customers are choosing SQL Server over our competitors," said Stan Sorensen, director of .NET Enterprise Server marketing at Microsoft. "The message is clear: SQL Server on the Windows(R) platform provides the powerful platform on which enterprises can run their business."

RadioShack.com and Medigenesis Inc. are among the many companies that have switched to SQL Server and Windows from Oracle to reap the benefits of the platform that consistently delivers the necessary tools for today's business: ease of use, time to market, scalability, reliability and manageability.

More information on Microsoft SQL Server is available at www.microsoft.com/sql/default.asp and www.microsoft.com/sql/switchers/ .