Perfect for the Paranoid Boss…
I've got to get me some of these new RFID chips that you actually put
in a worker's body. So far, they're reserved for high-security positions where
it really does matter who comes and who goes. CityWatcher.com
made news when it popped these puppies into two people that work with sensitive
video footage: I'm thinking more of finding out if Redmond editors really
are at the dentist, or if they're interviewing for some cushy P.R. job at Microsoft…nah!
[Editor's note: Darn it! He's on to me…]
ISA 2006: Did You Really Say Beta?
ISA 2006 is now in its
first beta. That's right -- it's not a Community Technology
Preview or part of the Customer Preview Program. It's a good, old-fashioned
beta!
Among other new features, ISA 2006 will support Windows Server 2003 R2.
Redmond Magazine Safe for 3 More Years
Some of our funnier readers continue to ask what we'll do if Microsoft
moves its headquarters. If it goes north to Canada, for example, we might have
to call our magazine Winnipeg, and our sister publication Winnipeg Channel
Partner (the real pub is at http://rcpmag.com).
Luckily, we don't need to start trademark searches on "Winnipeg, The Independent
Voice of the Microsoft IT Community" just yet. That's because Microsoft
is plunking down a cool billion over the next three years to expand
its Redmond campus to handle some 12,000 new employees.
As much as critics slam the company and competitors poke at it, Microsoft continues
to grow steady and strong. Maybe I'll be able to put my kids through college
after all.
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Microsoft Antitrust: America Happy While Europe Steams
To help satisfy the European Union, Microsoft recently released source
code to help third parties hook into Windows Server networking features. But
those pesky Euros scoffed. Meanwhile U.S. federal and state authorities are
generally
pleased, calling the Microsoft move "constructive."
I'm not sure if it's a more favorable political climate, a new
tone from top Microsoft execs, or Bill Gate's remarkable philanthropy,
but I believe the company's image has improved dramatically. Not that
the company is Mother Theresa, but it ain't exactly Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
either.
I like Microsoft with a few rough edges, but then again, I don't have
to compete with it.
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.