February 2006 - Posts
One of my team members recently created this podcast...Enjoy!
The long night of waiting is over. Windows Vista is deep into the Beta and CTP programs. Some of the features are recognizable from Windows XP, while others are so absolutely amazing they will knock your socks off. One of the new features is the built in Voice Recognition. I took the time to make a short demonstration on how to set it up and use it. It is so impressive! Don’t take my word for it. Watch the podcast and see it for yourself, then try it on your own machine.
Windows Vista Voice Recognition
Enjoy the podcast and watch for future casts on features and benefits of Windows Vista.
UK charities to benefit...
Published: Wednesday 22 February 2006
Microsoft is donating $41m in software and cash to two organisations working to enable better use of communications technology by disaster relief agencies.
The recipients are NetHope, an organisation comprised of the CIOs and CTOs from global NGOs, and the Interagency Working Group on Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB), a consortium of aid agencies such as CARE, Mercy Corps and Save the Children.
In the UK, charities that will benefit from the donation include Oxfam, Plan International and Save the Children UK.
NetHope will put the contribution toward an IT infrastructure upgrade which will include the use of Microsoft's Windows and Office software, while ECB will look to improve online collaboration between its members including the creation of an online learning centre.
Greg Brady, project director for ECB, said in a statement: "The numerous disasters in the past year highlighted the need for increased collaboration among NGOs responding to humanitarian crises.
"With Microsoft's support of the ECB Project, we are strengthening ties between NGOs to improve co-ordination through better use of communication and technology."
New and improved programs, servers and services will give customers unparalleled flexibility.
REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 15, 2006 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the lineup of its upcoming 2007 Microsoft® Office system products, previously code-named Microsoft Office “12,” including new and improved suites, applications, servers and services to be available by the end of 2006. The 2007 release is designed to increase individual impact, simplify collaboration, streamline business processes and content management, and improve business insight. The product and packaging lineup is grounded in a deep understanding of how customers’ needs intersect with trends in the workplace. Microsoft will make available both enhanced and new packaging options to make it easier for customers to purchase the solutions that best meet their unique business needs.
“The 2007 release is the productivity breakthrough that customers have been asking for,” said Chris Capossela, corporate vice president of the Information Worker Product Management Group at Microsoft. “Today, we’re revealing new products in the Microsoft Office system and a number of new options that provide customers with flexibility in how they purchase our products. That’s great news for businesses eager to provide their workers with the best productivity tools possible for information management and collaboration.”
On the desktop, the 2007 release will include new and improved software suites and applications for volume license and retail customers. Major productivity advancements will be experienced through a new, results-oriented user interface. For volume license customers, Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007, the new name for a significantly updated release of Microsoft Office Professional Enterprise Edition 2003, will deliver improved information management and teamwork solutions through integration with new Microsoft Office SharePoint® Server 2007 capabilities, as well as inclusion of Microsoft Office Communicator. In addition, a new offering called Microsoft Office Enterprise 2007 builds on the capabilities of Office Professional Plus 2007 by extending collaboration and mobility scenarios through inclusion of Microsoft Office Groove® 2007 and Microsoft Office OneNote® 2007. Retail customers will also have a new option for bringing the power of Office productivity into their homes. Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, an updated release of Microsoft Office Student and Teacher Edition 2003, will be available for home users.
Two new product offerings in the 2007 release will help address common organizational needs. Office Groove 2007, an updated release of Groove Virtual Office software, will enable teams to work together dynamically inside collaborative work spaces regardless of location or network connection. Microsoft Office SharePoint Designer 2007, partially based on Microsoft Office FrontPage® 2003 technologies, is part of the next-generation Web design tools that will help customers create and customize Microsoft SharePoint Web sites and build workflow-enabled applications using SharePoint Technologies.
Building on existing Microsoft Office server-enabled capabilities, the upcoming release will expand the system with new solutions for sharing, analyzing and managing information. As part of the 2007 release, Microsoft is introducing a full range of new and improved servers that will integrate solutions across collaboration, enterprise content management (ECM) and forms, business intelligence (BI), and enterprise project management (EPM) scenarios. Office SharePoint Server 2007 will become the single server that unifies portal and content management, business insight and business process capabilities to enable customers to collaborate more effectively, make more informed decisions and control content across line-of-business applications. Specialized servers such as Microsoft Office Project Server 2007, Microsoft Office Project Portfolio Server 2007, and Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007 will deliver project and portfolio management and electronic forms management solutions, respectively. In addition, Microsoft Office Groove Server 2007 will provide the centralized management, data relay and data integration capabilities customers need to deploy Office Groove 2007 across the enterprise. For smaller deployments, Microsoft Office Groove Enterprise Services will provide cost-effective, hosted management and data relay services.
Two client access license (CAL) suite options have been designed to help customers purchase a solution that delivers the power of the integrated desktop and server environment in a simplified manner and at a significant discount from the cost of individual components. Available today, the Core CAL combines the access licenses for Microsoft’s most popular servers, including Windows Server™, Microsoft Exchange Server, Office SharePoint Portal Server and Systems Management Server. The new Enterprise CAL will consist of the Core CAL plus new capabilities such as enterprise data searching, spreadsheet publishing, Web-based form creation and unified messaging. It will also include new offerings from Microsoft Operations Manager, Microsoft Office Live Communications Server, Windows® Rights Management Services and Microsoft Security products.
“Collaboration is more important than ever as we accelerate our innovation processes to bring new products to market for our customers and consumers. It’s imperative that we provide tools and capabilities that allow our people and business processes to be well-synchronized,” said Marc Brown, CIO of Del Monte Foods. “We’ve been testing beta code for the next release of Microsoft Office products and are already piloting workflow management, collaboration and individual productivity improvements. As early adopters of the new technologies, we believe Microsoft Office can help us boost business efficiencies and be more competitive.”
Packaging and Retail Pricing Details
Additional details about the new and improved suites, applications, servers and services can be found online. In addition, customers who are interested in experiencing the 2007 release for themselves can visit http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview to read about the latest product developments and register to receive the 2007 Microsoft Office Beta 2 release when it is available in the first half of 2006.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
Microsoft, SharePoint, Groove, OneNote, FrontPage, Windows Server and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.mspx.
Microsoft Small Business Summit - Attend Online - March 14-17
Learn from the best at the Microsoft Small Business Summit, March 14 to 17
Find out how to take your business to the next level, and get FREE Microsoft software, by registering today for the Microsoft Small Business Summit. This online event features webcasts from industry experts on topics ranging from sales and marketing to financial management, productivity and mobility to computer security.
Log on to keynote presentations by Kevin Turner, Microsoft COO; Maxine Clark, founder of "Build a Bear" workshop, entrepreneurs and founders of StartupNation.com, Keith Ferrazzi, CEO of Ferazzi Greenlight and many more - and find out new ways to improve your bottom line and increase sales with Microsoft solutions.
Register today to get your FREE Microsoft software!
 |
Get the guidance you need for planning, building, operating, and supporting end-to-end IT solutions for small and medium businesses (SMB). Based on Microsoft software and complementary partner technologies, these solutions are designed for partners who want to provide their customers dependable, secure, and integrated IT solutions based on pre-tested and pre-configured designs. |
Program OverviewThe Microsoft Solutions for Small and Medium Business program consists of a series of solutions that are based on Microsoft products and complementary partner technologies, and are designed for different small and medium business market segments.
-
Peer-to-Peer Networking with Windows XPDesigned for a server-less environment with up to ten users. The Peer-to-Peer Networking with Windows XP solution provides guidance on how to connect and configure computers and networks in a small office or a home office. This solution helps customers through the common tasks, answers questions they may have, and helps them avoid or troubleshoot problems that they may encounter. The solution is targeted at business users who use and install their own computer systems.
-
Small IT Solution(Small Business Server 2003 — Multi server scenario) The Small IT Solution is an entry-level solution into server-based computing for small businesses that are looking for high-value core information technology (IT) functionality that is affordable, secure, dependable, and easy-to-use. This solution is targeted at organizations with up to 50 users.
-
Small Business Solution Accelerator(Small Business Server 2003 — single server scenario) This is an entry-level solution into server-based computing for small businesses with up to 25 users. It offers integrated end-to-end prescriptive guidance for a small IT infrastructure environment that includes networking and SBS services such as file and print, messaging, collaboration, fax sharing, and remote web workplace.
-
Small IT Solution for MobilityThe Small IT Solution for Mobility provides guidance to help deploy a mobility solution in the small IT environment. It uses Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC (Phone Edition) and Windows Mobile-based Smartphone devices. The solution requires Exchange Server that is a part of the Small Business Server deployed using the guidance provided in the Small IT Solution.
-
Medium IT Solution SeriesDesigned for growing businesses that are progressively increasing the use of IT to empower employees and connect with customers. The solution provides greater flexibility in terms of IT design and the number of supported users. The solutions series is a collection of solutions and guides intended for medium-sized businesses with 50-250 users. |
Getting started: What should you back up?
There are many ways you can unintentionally lose information on a computer. A child playing the keyboard like a piano, a power surge, lightning, floods. And sometimes equipment just fails.
If you regularly make backup copies of your files and keep them in a separate place, you can get some, if not all, of your information back in the event something happens to the originals on your computer.
Deciding what to back up is highly personal. Anything you cannot replace easily should be at the top of your list. Before you get started, make a checklist of files to back up. This will help you determine what to back up, and also give you a reference list in the event you need to retrieve a backed-up file. Here are some file suggestions to get you started:
| • |
Bank records and other financial information |
| • |
Digital photographs |
| • |
Software you purchased and downloaded from the Internet |
| • |
Music you purchased and downloaded from the Internet |
| • |
Personal projects |
| • |
Your e-mail address book |
| • |
Your Microsoft Outlook calendar |
| • |
Your Internet Explorer bookmarks |
If you haven't already decided where you want to store your backup copies—external hard disk drive, CDs, DVDs, or some other storage format—and you want to know more about your options, you can read about the types of external storage available.
After you've decided what you want to back up and where you're going to back up, you're ready to learn how to back up.
Be one of the first 25 partners to email me at donroe@microsoft.com and refer to Free Training! I am giving away a voucher that provides 90-day access to the online Microsoft Official E-Learning Library. Upon activation you will have unlimited access to the Offering materials for 90 days!
|
Windows Defender (Beta 2) is a free program that helps protect your computer against pop-ups, slow performance, and security threats caused by spyware and other unwanted software. It features Real-Time Protection, a monitoring system that recommends actions against spyware when it's detected, and a new streamlined interface that minimizes interruptions and helps you stay productive.  |
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Lisa Vaas
February 9, 2006
Updated: News Analysis: Microsoft is doing plenty to stop the counterfeiting, but analysts and partners say there's still more that could be done.
|
|
|
|
So, you got a bargain. You got Windows software for a song. What difference does a little piracy make? Microsoft has plenty of money, right?
Maybe so, but every piece of pirated software makes a lot of difference to the little guys—to channel players like Joe Stopski.
"[The] perception in the past was it's strictly a Microsoft-centric problem," Stopski said. "But what happens with companies such as ours, it's not just the Microsoft part [of the sale] that you lose. You go in and are working with other competitive partners out there, and all it takes is one using pirated software. It's not just one piece of software you lose—you end up losing the total deal, the $150,000 deal."
Stopski is the vice president of business development at Fusion Microsystems, an OEM. He's been sitting on Microsoft's Partner Advisory Council to address some of the piracy pain that eventually culminated in the WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage) program, a non-piracy program that now requires customers to download an ActiveX control that checks the authenticity of their Windows software before allowing them to upgrade.
Microsoft made the WGA, which was once voluntary, mandatory last year.
Since then, the company has made it clear it wasn't joking. Most recently, Microsoft in December filed charges against 10 parties who allegedly violated its MAPS (Microsoft Action Pack Subscriptions).
MAPS is a means for partners to obtain heavily discounted Microsoft software, but the software must only be used for internal testing and development and may not be deployed on product systems or resold.
Even with the WGA in place and charges being filed against alleged MAPS misuse, however, the going is rough for channel players.
Microsoft Director of License Compliance Cori Hartje refers to estimates from the Business Software Alliance that 35 percent of all software bought today is counterfeit.
In plain paycheck-speak, that means that anybody in the industry who comes to work five days a week is only getting paid for three.
"We want to make sure we protect and help OEM system builders and partners, because it's hard to compete," Hartje said.
"There's a small margin in systems. If somebody down the street is selling a counterfeit Windows system and you're selling legitimate software, it's very hard to compete."
Analysts back Microsoft up on this one.
"Piracy is a huge problem, and it's certainly much more prevalent in some parts of the world than it is in others," said Julie Giera, an analyst for Forrester Research.
"As companies expand globally, especially into Asia-Pacific, any of the OEMs and resellers are finding it very difficult to compete, because this issue of piracy, or lack of IP protection or lax IP protection, is really significant."
Not only does piracy undercut OEM and reseller revenue, Giera pointed out; it also affects the entire supply chain, since most OEMs and resellers provide a set of value-added services, from support to consulting to tools, not to mention relationships with other resellers and partners.
According to a study done by IDC, counterfeit software made up 53 percent of software installed in Asia-Pacific in 2003; in Eastern Europe, the piracy rate was 71 percent; and in Latin American countries the rate averaged 63 percent. Indeed, throughout the world, piracy rates are high.
That's not to say it's not going on in the United States—IDC estimated a 23 percent piracy rate for installed software for the same time frame.
But whereas in the past anybody could make copies of Microsoft with a CD duplicator for just pennies for the disk, enhanced keycodes and the WGA program have made it much harder to activate counterfeit products.
That's a good thing. Still, there are issues to iron out.
Hartje said that as technology has grown more sophisticated, so too has counterfeiting.
"As we've gotten more sophisticated, with holograms and packaging, with things to help identify counterfeits, with the 'How to tell' site on Microsoft.com, people have migrated piracy to being very sophisticated," she said.
That means spam e-mail offering cheap Microsoft software. Some spam even claims it's OEM.
But since the spammers are transmitting bits and not shipping boxes, it could well be an OEM counterfeit, Hartje said.
At other times, systems builders will claim to have Windows hard-disk loaded, she said. But that can lead to another major source of channel revenue loss: namely, the sale of software that's not fully licensed. |
Microsoft admits that on this one, it could do better. "As consumers start thinking about software, there's a certain level of education we haven't done as well as we should," Hartje said.
One of the simplest things that Microsoft needs to educate customers about relates to the one-license, one-machine tenet.
"Windows runs on one license, on one machine, and you can't move it to other machines," she said. "That's common to us in the industry, but to the consumer, they don't realize that it's licensed to one use at a time."
Another misconception out there leads to mis-licensing. Namely, many corporate customers believe that when they have a volume licensing agreement, something they signed that allows them to make x many copies when they need it, they believe those agreements cover the ability to purchase a naked PC, shipped without Windows, and to install it on the machine.
The reason that's deemed mis-licensing is that volume licenses don't pertain to the original license—rather, they pertain only to updates. Thus, customers mistakenly buy hardware without an operating system.
"They say 'Don't ship the software, I already have a volume licensing agreement,'" Hartje said. "But it's not a full license. It's just an upgrade."
Stopski agrees with Hartje: Microsoft needs to do a better job around clarifying volume licensing.
"Microsoft never did a good job or had a good understanding of licensing guidelines in the past," he said. "Specifically I'm talking about large corporations with enterprise agreements. The perception out there with Fortune 500s is 'I'm covered under my enterprise agreement.'
"It was left to us as the partner to do the education, to say, 'No, desktop operating systems aren't covered under any enterprise agreement,'" he said. "Upgrades are. You have to have a previous copy on the machine to upgrade it."
Or, rather, that's what partners should be telling customers but aren't necessarily, Hartje said.
The channel may be the victim here, but it's also at fault for being "hesitant to tell consumers when they're wrong," Hartje said. Such delicacy, however, leads to improperly licensed users.
Another issue that bedevils partners is Microsoft's inability to set a price on a channel product, Stopski said.
"One issue we still run into and still have to do a better job at, or Microsoft has to do a better job at, and this is a tough one—Microsoft can't set a price on a channel product," he said.
"You could have a MSRP [manufacturer's suggested retail price] on retail, but no MSRP on an OEM product."
Because the OEM price isn't published, customers tell OEMs they've found the license for compliance online for, say, $50, Stopski said.
Because it's unpublished, partners can't point customers to a standard price and instead have to educate them as to what the price range would be for compliant software.
"…What Microsoft could do [is] put a message out there, 'If you see a price too good to be true, it means it is,'" he said.
Some software vendors, including Oracle and IBM, have resorted to keys embedded in the software that have to be renewed every so often. But while that tactic cuts down on piracy, it makes it miserably hard to deploy the software, Giera said.
"How do you balance customer satisfaction and administrative overhead with intellectual property rights?" she said. "Especially in large companies with hundreds and hundreds of licenses and different vendors."
Meanwhile, as far as confusion goes, Giera thinks Microsoft is making strides at simplifying licensing.
It still has work to do with regards to how it licenses its software to outsourced customers or customers that want to provide services to one another, she said. Currently, such customers find doing so "onerous," she said.
She also sees some inconsistencies with server licensing. "Some server products you license by server with a CAL [client access license]," she said. "Others you license on a per-server basis. So there's still that sort of complexity built into licensing agreements that needs some work."
Still, Microsoft is trying, Giera said, and they're making progress. As it is, it's sitting on a stockpile of technology that took years and years of exponential growth that occurred in the '80s and '90s, and licensing didn't keep pace.
"They were using bailing wire and chewing gum," she said.
But at least these days, product groups and licensing groups are together when a product is being developed, she said.
"That's a significant change," Giera said. "It allows them to avoid a lot of problems they're now having to clean up. It's much easier to fix it now before you roll it out to the field."
Editor's Note: This story was updated to correct the source of estimate on piracy rates as coming from the Business Software Alliance and to correct a statement about the origins of piracy.
Seattle Times technology reporter
Microsoft executives often say their products are easy enough for their mothers to use, but in reality their moms still call a lot, asking for help fixing their computers.
Thinking of mom — and all the other people who lean on techie friends for advice — Microsoft is starting a new PC maintenance service for consumers and small businesses.
For $49.95 a year, Windows OneCare Live will keep subscribers' PCs updated, maintained and patched with the latest security software. It will also make backup copies of important files and include phone and online support.
It goes on sale in June, but a free test version is available at www.windowsonecare.com.
Advanced users routinely perform the same tasks themselves for little or no cost. But Microsoft is targeting the millions of PC users whose machines are unprotected and poorly maintained because it's too complicated or time-consuming to keep them updated.
"We're offering a premium level of service that's similar to if you were to take your Lexus into a dealership and get a level of service vs. 'Hey, I've got a buddy who can fix my car for me in his home garage,' " said Dennis Bonsall, director of Windows OneCare Live.
But OneCare is far more than a helping hand for novice or non-techie computer users. It's also an aggressive move to capture a bigger share of the consumer security-software market, which has thrived largely because of vulnerabilities in Microsoft's dominant Windows operating system.
Security sells
Microsoft and Symantec have new services to help consumers keep their PCs maintained and updated with the latest security software. Here's a comparison of the products:
Microsoft Windows OneCare Live
What it does: PC maintenance and security service. Automatically installs system updates and security patches. Includes anti-spyware and anti-virus protection. Performs routine maintenance and system "tuneups" such as disk cleanup and defragmentation. Automatically backs up files to an external hard drive or prompts users to back up files to CD or DVD disks. Online backup storage may be offered in the future at additional cost.
Timing: On sale in June; free test version available now.
Details: Includes phone and online support. Service covers up to three PCs; aimed at consumer and small businesses. Requires Windows XP with service pack 2.
Price: $49.95 a year.
Symantec Genesis
What it does: PC maintenance and security service. Automatically installs system updates and security patches, Includes anti-spyware and anti-virus protection. Performs routine maintenance and system tuneups. Automatically backs up files to external hard drives, disks. Includes 1 gigabyte of online backup space.
Timing: To be released in fall.
Details: Includes phone and online support. Requires Windows XP or Vista.
Price: To be announced; some analysts expect it to cost $79.99 a year.
Brier Dudley
OneCare may also be a preview of Microsoft's future. The company has long tried to shift customers toward services that carry annual charges, weaning them from packaged software products that are sold once and last indefinitely.
That effort is accelerating under a new services strategy Chairman Bill Gates and Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie announced in November. It's also gaining new urgency with Google and Yahoo! rapidly delivering services that chip away at Microsoft's share of consumer's computing experience.
Microsoft may deliver Windows entirely by subscription within 15 years, said Rob Enderle, a technology consultant and analyst in Santa Clara, Calif. In the meantime, it is likely to start gradually lowering the upfront cost of its products as it collects more revenue through subscriptions, he said.
"I would argue this is the first major step towards a subscription operating system," Enderle said of OneCare.
Microsoft's announcement Tuesday also appears to be an effort to get ahead of Symantec, a Cupertino, Calif., company that produces Norton-brand security software.
Symantec is to brief investors Thursday on its new consumer strategy, the highlight of which is Genesis, a new subscription service announced Tuesday that is similar to OneCare.
Symantec is also negotiating with PC makers to have Genesis bundled with PCs expected to go on sale in late 2006 with Microsoft's new Windows Vista operating system.
Microsoft's Bonsall said OneCare won't be bundled with Vista; it will be sold online and through retailers.
Both companies believe there's a huge opportunity for such services.
Symantec estimates 30 to 40 percent of PC users don't have current security software, while Microsoft thinks the range is 60 to 70 percent. Both say consumers are looking for a single product that handles all the security and maintenance tasks PCs require.
"The majority of consumers out there actually prefer all-in-one solutions; they want to get one service," said Tom Powledge, Symantec director of product management.
Powledge said Genesis will compete well against OneCare because it has more comprehensive features, including some aimed specifically at preventing online criminals from stealing personal information. He said Genesis pricing will be announced later in the year.
Goldman Sachs analysts said Symantec and McAfee, another large security-software vendor, will fare well because Microsoft priced OneCare higher than expected. In a note to investors Tuesday, they said OneCare was expected to cost around $20 a year or less.
They also predicted that Genesis — which will include 1 gigabyte of online backup capacity — will cost at least $79.99 a year.
They suggested that more details about both products could be presented next week at the RSA Conference, a major computer-security event where both Gates and Symantec Chief Executive John Thompson are giving keynote speeches.
Microsoft is offering a lower introductory price to consumers who participate in OneCare's "beta" testing process. Consumers who sign up in April will pay $19.95 for their first year of service. The service covers up to three PCs.
Bonsall said he's already signed his mother up as a beta tester and he expects she'll become a subscriber.
"I'm pretty sure I can convince her to go for $19.95."
From the WSJ
By CASSELL BRYAN-LOW
February 13, 2006; Page B5
In an effort to muscle in on BlackBerry's stronghold on the mobile email market, Microsoft Corp. today unveiled several devices as well as offers from cellphone-service providers to make it easier for its customers to get messages on the go.
The initiatives build on software upgrades Microsoft announced in June to give customers immediate access to new email messages. Research In Motion Ltd.'s BlackBerry devices long have offered services that continuously deliver -- or push -- email to the handsets. Cellphones running Microsoft's software have relied on a cumbersome and sometimes costly method to automatically update users' email inboxes.
Now, Microsoft is announcing the first four devices to be shipped with its new push-email function built in. They are manufactured by cellphone and computer makers, and include Hewlett-Packard Co.'s new hand-held computer called the iPAQ hw6900. In addition, several wireless service providers are launching services to allow customers to take advantage of the push-email service. Those providers include Vodafone Group PLC and Cingular Wireless, which BellSouth Corp. owns jointly with AT&T Inc.
BlackBerry maker RIM, Waterloo, Ontario, leads the increasingly competitive mobile-email software market with more than 4.3 million subscribers. Analysts estimate there are about six million to 10 million mobile email users overall and that Microsoft, Redmond, Wash., has a few hundred thousand users. Finnish company Nokia Corp., the world's largest cellphone maker, recently signaled its designs on the mobile market by buying RIM rival Intellisync Corp. for $430 million.
Looking to leverage its big installed base in corporate technology departments, Microsoft hopes to compete largely on price. For corporations that already have Microsoft's Exchange Server 2003 software for managing email accounts and its Windows Mobile 5.0 software for cellphones, the push-email upgrade is available at no additional cost. With some competing offers, corporate customers need to pay several thousand dollars to purchase a mobile-email server and may have to pay an additional license fee of up to $100.
"Cost has been a significant barrier to widespread adoption of mobile business messaging," says Pieter Knook, senior vice president of Microsoft's mobile-devices division.
Analysts say they expect Microsoft to rapidly gain market share in the mobile-email-software market, but don't see the company catching up with RIM, at least anytime soon. Microsoft still has "some issues in the functionality they can offer," says Ben Wood, an analyst at technology research firm Gartner. "RIM's solution is richer in terms of some of the security and management features."
Other challenges include legal disputes, which recently have plagued the wireless-email industry. Closely held Visto Corp, Redwood Shores, Calif., has sued Microsoft and several other companies for patent infringement. Mr. Knook declined to comment on the Visto suit.
RIM, which has previously lost a patent infringement suit to U.S. patent holding company NTP Inc., is opposing a possible injunction shutting down most U.S. sales and service of BlackBerry. RIM last week said it has an alternative technology to keep its BlackBerry devices running in the event of a court-ordered shutdown.
Mike Lazaridis, RIM's president and co-chief executive, says the increased competition generally is helping to raise awareness among customers about wireless email. Of Microsoft's focus on push email, he says: "the fact that they're trying to catch up clearly establishes our credibility in this space."
The voice-activated in-car communication system, based on Windows Mobile for Automotive, will debut at the 2006 Geneva Motorshow. Fiat and Microsoft will launch Blue&Me based on Windows Mobile for Automotive at the 2006 Geneva Motorshow later this month, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of in-car communication, infotainment and entertainment systems and providing all vehicles in the Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Fiat Commercial Vehicle ranges with a competitive advantage. Blue&Me will be the first product seen from the long-term strategic partnership inked in July 2004 with the objective of co-designing innovative automotive telematics systems.
');
}
//-->
The system will exclusively be available on new Fiat and Alfa Romeo cars as well as on Fiat Light Commercial Vehicles. The Grande Punto, Alfa Romeo 159, 159 Sportwagon, Brera and Spider will be equipped this from the middle of this year, followed by the other models of Fiat Auto's product range.
Instead of costly and rigid hardware, Fiat Auto and Microsoft - with the support of Magneti Marelli - will offer a platform that can be adapted to most mobile phones, digital media players and other mobile devices. The customer is free to change them with new models without compromising compatibility with the car.
Blue&Me guarantees maximum security levels and user-friendliness. The voice-activated system, the complete integration of steering wheel control buttons and information on the dashboard display will allow users to utilize any Bluetooth-based mobile phone - even if it is in a pocket or handbag - without removing hands from the steering wheel.
Thanks to a modern voice-recognition system, no preliminary voice training is needed, and even incoming SMS messages are read aloud to the driver.
Among audio functions, it is possible to listen to music stored on a mobile phone, in the newest smart phones, and in MP3 readers or USB removable sticks. All this thanks to a USB port, in the glove box, which enables the connection to any digital device with the correspondent port.
The collaboration between Fiat and Microsoft allows Blue&Me to be based on an open platform, compatible with the largest number of devices such as mobile phones, Palms and MP3 players, with the real benefit of continuously catching up with market innovations, thus maintaining the perfect integration with the car at an entry-level price.
A further short-term evolution will offer a particularly simple and interactive navigation system, and access to a set of services among which are a personal assistant to check addresses, weather and traffic forecasts, satellite localization in case of theft, SOS, and other services currently under development.
The system is a completely integrated technology with a one-to-one relation with the customer, as the name Blue&Me underlines.
Details of vehicle applications and availability will be released as models equipped with Blue&Me arrive in individual markets
| Microsoft Releases Windows Server 2003 R2 |
By Peter Galli
February 1, 2006 |
|
|
|
|
Microsoft's long-awaited Windows Server 2003 R2, the update to Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1, is finally generally available, the company said on Feb. 1.
This widespread availability follows the December 2005 release to manufacturing of the final code for this server software.
Microsoft customers will now be able to buy Windows Server 2003 R2 pre-installed on hardware through companies such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard and IBM, and Microsoft's enterprise Software Assurance customers will get their Windows Server 2003 R2 updates in the near future.
With R2 comes new functionality such as better branch office efficiency, improved identity management, more efficient storage management and a better Web platform, Jeff Price, Microsoft's senior director for the Windows Server Group, said Feb. 1.
Windows Server 2003 R2 will also allow storage partners to enhance integration and compatibility efforts through the Simple SAN (storage area network) program, with new features such as SMfS (Storage Manager for SANs) and FSRM (File Server Resource Manager).
"Hitachi Data Systems is the first Fibre Channel vendor to reach the full solution designation," Price said.
Bob Muglia, Microsoft's senior vice president for Windows Server, said at last year's Professional Developers Conference that R2 would bring features such as Services for Unix, the WS-Management (Web Services-Management) standard, along with the next generation of the management console, MMC 3.0.
"Closing the loop between developers and operational systems still has a long way to go, but delivering MMC 3.0 is the first deliverable in that regard," Muglia said.
Microsoft is also offering a copy of Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition at the reduced price of $99 through June 30, 2006, to customers who acquire a license of Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition.
The company also said on Feb. 1 that the ISA Server 2004 Service Pack 2 is now available and includes three new feature enhancements: Microsoft Update and BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Services) caching; HTTP compression; and application traffic prioritization.
"ISA Server 2004 SP2 integrates with Windows Server 2003 R2 to provide advanced policy-based protection for branch office servers and clients," Price said.
The new service pack is available via automated distribution from Microsoft Update, or can be downloaded at the MSDN Download Center.
Microsoft also updated its Windows Server System Midsize Business Promotion, announced at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference last July.
"As of today, customers who take this promotion, which currently includes Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, will now get Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition, because the ability to efficiently manage branch offices, storage and Web platforms is critically important for midsize businesses," Price said.
Microsoft also released an update to Microsoft's BOIS (Branch Office Infrastructure Solution Guide), which is essentially the company's guidance to its customers and industry partners on how to build, deploy and operate Windows Server, ISA Server and related products in a branch office environment.
"Version 2 of this guidance will include downloadable, customizable templates based on improvements in Windows Server 2003 R2," Price said. |
More Posts
Next page »