CAMBRIDGE BETS THE FARM ON MICROSOFT AND NT.

By John Rogers Consultant and systems integrator Cambridge Technology Partners Inc has formed an alliance with Microsoft Corp that will see Cambridge align its fortunes more closely with those of the software giant. In a move that anticipates wider corporate adoption of Windows NT, Cambridge will be increasing its Microsoft-certified engineers and developers from roughly 150 to about 1,000. The two companies say they will work together to jointly develop and market NT-based systems in the areas of electronic commerce, customer loyalty, datawarehousing, investment trading and other areas. Cambridge will also work with customers to develop and deploy customized applications using Microsoft COM technology and the Microsoft Visual Studio development system. The company will deliver the Microsoft-based goods via its established fixed-time/fixed-price methodology. According to the company, the approach lowers costs and risks for enterprise customers and reduces the time of deployment. Cambridge is betting heavily on NT at a time when many investors have had ongoing concerns about slowing growth at the company. For Microsoft, the move is part of its efforts to attract major systems integrators to the NT camp and gain an edge on the likes of IBM Corp and Oracle Corp. The alliance comes as an extension of the company's seven-year relationship with Microsoft and three months after Cambridge's acquisition of Excell Data Corp, a systems integrator specializing in Microsoft platforms. At the time of that $60m deal, Cambridge said it had pursued the deal partially because of Excell's "close relationship" with Redmond and that it hoped to gain the inside track on product introductions and future strategies. As part of the new arrangement, Cambridge also plans to standardize its internal systems - more than 4,300 desktops - on the Microsoft enterprise software. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.