Microsoft Sells Mobile Ads
There's just no escaping the reach of advertising. You'll soon start to see
ads on your cell phone -- if your phone is running the U.S. version of MSN Mobile.
Making good on its move into the world of advertising, Microsoft is starting
to run ads
targeting its mobile customers. While Microsoft has already been doing so
in Japan and parts of Europe, this is its first blast in the States. Its earlier
acquisitions of online ad agency aQuantive (for a reported $6 billion) and mobile
ad agency ScreenTonic SA were solid signals that the Redmondites were eager
to get deeper into the world of online and mobile advertising.
The first advertisers paying up to hit MSN Mobile customers include Ford, Bank
of America and Paramount Pictures.
What's your take on the pervasiveness of advertising? How do you feel about
advertising on your mobile phone? How do you feel advertising has changed in
the online era and the age of the short attention span? Check in with me quickly
at [email protected].
New VMware Package Hits the Streets
Virtualization powerhouse VMware has just released the latest
version of its VMware Infrastructure 3. This bundle covers the bases and
includes VMware ESX Server 3.5 and VirtualCenter 2.5. Overall, VMware Infrastructure
3 promises increased automation, improved infrastructure availability and higher
performance.
The VMware ESX Server 3.5 and VirtualCenter 2.5 package that forms the bulk
of VMware Infrastructure 3 has the following upgrades:
- Performance gains for memory and I/O intensive workloads.
- Large memory pages for ESX Server and guest operating systems.
- Support for TCP segmentation offload.
- Support for paravirtualized Linux improves performance of Linux workloads.
- VMware Storage VMotion lets you migrate live virtual machine disks from
one system to another with minimal disruption or downtime.
- VMware Update Manager automates patch and update management for VMware ESX
Server hosts and VMs.
- VMware Guided Consolidation (part of VMware VirtualCenter) helps smaller
companies quickly get started with server consolidation with a step-by-step
tutorial.
VMware Infrastructure 3 will include VMware ESX Server or VMware ESX Server
3i, VMware Consolidated Backup and the VMware Update Manager. Pricing starts
at $995 per two processors. Check out http://www.vmware.com
to find out more.
What's your virtualization strategy? How much have you committed to virtualization
-- both in terms of resources and operations? Let us know and we may want to
talk to you about all sorts of upcoming stories. Check in at [email protected].
Yahoo Adds Business Content
Starting today, when you log on to Yahoo Finance to check stocks and other business
news, you'll see content from CNBC. A deal
between the two providers takes effect today. Both groups hope to boost
their respective visibility by sharing CNBC content through Yahoo's business
site.
This deal with Yahoo is CNBC's first major agreement with an online service.
It's also a first for both by committing to global syndication. CNBC has had
a tough time in the Web space, averaging slightly more than 500,000 visitors
each month over the last few months. Yahoo Finance, on the other hand, had more
than 13 million visitors over the same period of time. So CNBC gets broad distribution
and Yahoo gets CNBC's expert content.
Starting today, CNBC video clips and CNBC.com articles will be posted on the
Yahoo Finance site. There will be as many as several dozen new video clips posted
every day. Yahoo can also share the CNBC content with its international sites.
Yahoo is clearly going after the business crowd; this new agreement comes just
after Yahoo announced another program starting next month that will cover technology
stocks.
What do you think about Yahoo bolstering its content? Do you rely on Yahoo,
Google or something else for your news -- financial or otherwise? Give me the
scoop at [email protected].
Red Hat Delays Release, Again
If you're waiting for the latest from Red Hat, you'll have to wait just a bit
longer. Its latest volley in the battle against Windows won't be fired now until
January of next year.
The new version has already been delayed twice (something else it has in common
with Windows). Last September, Matthew Szulik, the chief wearer of the big Red
Hat, said he expected to ship the new product on the market by the end of November.
Red Hat officials said they were postponing the release once again to give
the company time to resolve issues with rights to distribute music and video-playing
utilities with its operating system.
Have you ventured into open source yet? What are you using it for? Is it running
your server farms or powering your desktops? Open up to us at [email protected]
and let us know.
About the Author
Lafe Low is the editorial liaison for ECG Events.