Understanding the capabilities of each of the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating systems will enable you to select the best product to meet the current and future needs of your organization.

The following table describes the operating systems that are included in the Windows 2000 platform.

Operating system Description
Windows 2000 Professional Replaces Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, and Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 in a business environment. It is the desktop operating system for businesses of all sizes.
Windows 2000 Server Contains all of the features in Windows 2000 Professional, and provides services that simplify network management. This version of Windows 2000 is ideal for file and print servers, Web servers, and workgroups, and provides improved network access for branch offices.
Windows 2000 Advanced Server Contains all of the features in Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, and provides increased scalability and system availability. This version of Windows 2000 is designed for servers used in a large enterprise network, and database-intensive work.
Windows 2000 Datacenter Server Contains all of the features in Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and supports more memory and more CPUs per computer. This version of Windows 2000 is the most powerful and functional server operating system, designed for large data warehouses, online transaction processing (OLTP), large-scale simulations, and server consolidation projects.