Microsoft: Bigger and Badder than Ever
There’s no shortage of critics contending that Microsoft is an overgrown,
slow-moving, dull-witted colossus ready to be toppled by Linux, Google, Web
services and Firefox. If that’s the case, it sure isn’t happening
yet. Redmond just
reported
record sales and profits and is on pace to become a $45 billion company
bringing in $12 billion-plus in profits. You can build a lot of service packs
with that kind of cash!
Can Microsoft Live Labs Outfox Google?
Microsoft has a new research division called Live
Labs that combines folks from MSN and Microsoft Research. The lab is designed
to build Redmond’s next generation of Internet products in record time.
Microsoft’s trio of chief technology officers -- Ozzie, Mundie and Vaskevitch
-- will be on the board of directors.
The question now is can this new group -- really a loose confederation of exiting
researchers and teams -- move fast enough and smart enough to regain Internet
leadership? What do think? Let me know at [email protected].
Acrobat Goes 3-D
Adobe has a new
version of Acrobat for creative types, engineers and anyone else who needs
to publish documents with three-dimensional elements. The new tool supports
CAD images and lets publishers add some basic animation and textures.
| Subscribe
to Redmond Report |
This column
was originally published in our weekly Redmond Report newsletter.
To subscribe, click here. |
|
|
Nudging SA in the Right Direction
Software Assurance (SA) is expensive and ties customers to Microsoft for years
to come. Every six to 12 months, Redmond adds a little luster to SA hoping a
few more customers will hop on.
Now a Microsoft U.K. official has disclosed
a few new features coming up in March, like more discounts for home-use software
and free licenses for backup servers not in actual operation.
If you want to do the math and figure out if SA is right for you (sometimes
it is, usually it ain’t), check out my special report here.
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.