"Certified for Microsoft Windows" Applications

Windows 2000–based Distributed Applications

Windows 2000–based distributed applications provide similar benefits of a desktop application, plus the following:

Support for a globally available infrastructure by using Active Directory for easier access for the user and easier management for the administrator.
Secure access to systemwide resources.
Security for client-server interactions.
Reduced service downtime caused by system failures or planned server maintenance and upgrades. This is done by exploiting the Cluster service for applications that comply with Windows 2000 Advanced Server requirements.

Certified for Windows 2000 applications provide the following features:

Better Application Reliability Applications that are certified for Windows 2000 are designed to be more dependable, more available, and more manageable because of their reliance on Windows 2000 technologies.

Roaming and Multi-User Support Certified applications separate user and computer settings, which enable roaming and multi-user experiences. This allows user settings to follow the individual user, regardless of the computer that is used on the network. This is important in an environment where users roam, many users share computers, or a single user logs on to several different computers.

Adherence to Group Policy Certified applications check and adhere to important Group Policy settings that you can set to specify the desktop environment for your users. Certified applications do not override these Group Policy settings.

Easier Management Certified applications use Active Directory as the information source for security, policy, and addresses for computers and users. Because certified applications use Active Directory, certified applications provide simplified user and computer settings, and automation of system administrator tasks; so the time that you spend configuring and managing systems is reduced.

Simple Installation and Removal of Applications Certified applications are installed and removed in a simple and predictable way by using Windows Installer. This helps applications interoperate better.

Many independent software vendors have developed products that work on the Windows 2000 operating system. To see a directory of applications that that run on Windows 2000, including applications that are Certified for Windows 2000, see the Directory of Windows 2000 Applications link on the Web Resources page at http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/reskit/webresources.