Fixes for Visual Studio, Windows Due Tomorrow
Tomorrow
is Patch Tuesday, so it's no surprise that Windows is getting its share
of fixes. But Visual Studio is also up for a plug for a "critical flaw."
There are also updates to Malicious Software Removal Tool.
However, reports are starting to bubble that a fix for a show-stopping Word
flaw may not make tomorrow's batch.
MS Bones Up on Business Intelligence
Microsoft is as serious about business intelligence (BI) as Einstein was about
relativity. Not only does SQL Server 2005 have a heap of BI features, but the
company is also building an array of separate tools such as the Office
PerformancePoint Server 2007, now in beta test (oh, I mean in CTP, which
is a fancy term for a specific type of beta, though I can't quite remember the
difference). The new tool does business score-carding, and can work with an
array of structured and unstructured data types.
This could actually be a pretty sweet fit with the Dynamics products, where
ERP and supply chain whizzes need to understand what the numbers actually mean.
Whole Lot of Shipping Goin' On
Microsoft has been on a product shipping tear. Going after the Web development
market (where Redmond essentially failed with FrontPage and Macromedia cleaned
up with Dreamweaver), Microsoft just
starting shipping pieces of its Expression Studio line of products.
First up is a tool that lets developers build sites that work with key standards
(or at least Microsoft's take on what key standards are). Later, tools will
let developers fancy up these sites and protect proprietary content.
Exchange 2007 (and its Add-On Security) Ships
Exchange 2007 didn't exactly live up to its name -- the
darn thing just shipped and last time I checked, it's still 2006. To be
fair, it was just released to manufacturing, which means it has to work its
way through this process before you can actually start installing the finished
goods.
Along with the messaging server, Microsoft is shipping a Forefront tool designed
to protect Exchange from viruses, hackers and malware. This Forefront product
is based on Sybari, a third party bought by Microsoft.
IM Looking for Help
Do you use any IM security tools, a private IM network, or have set end user
policies for IM? Have you been hit by an IM virus, or had users abuse the systems?
If so, I want to talk to you! E-mail me at [email protected]
and give me the skinny.
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.