This IDC study (which is a translation of the Japanese report IDC #J7110105) analyzes the market opportunities for Windows-/Linux-based IA-64 servers in the Japan market. It examines the current situation of the Windows-/Linux-based IA-64 server market in Japan along with a comparison with the world markets. Based on these analyses, we look into the potential market opportunities for Windows-/Linux-based IA-64 servers in the Japan server market. Then we present IDC's suggestions on necessary measures to be taken in order to increase the market sizes. This study also presents the best-case forecast of the Windows-/Linux-based IA-64 server markets based on separate conditions to IDC's latest forecast, provided in its yearly information service Japan Quarterly Server Forecast.

"Vigorous efforts by market players are indispensable in order to expand the market opportunities for Windows-/Linux-based IA-64 servers and to lead them to actual profits. As the market interest is directed towards x86-64 servers, vendors will have to improve operation management tools and support services to increase the advantage of IA-64 servers as a total solution in order to overcome such difficulty and to expand the Windows-/Linux-based IA-64 server market. Strengthening the collaboration between virtualization software and operation management software is also effective, and that vendors should give priority to development of powerful applications for Windows-/Linux-based IA-64 servers," observes Satoshi Fukutomi, research manager, Server, IDC Japan.