Virtually Free
The world of virtualization is changing, becoming more and more prevalent,
and loads cheaper. EMC's VMware has been driving much of the change with
better and better features and cheaper and cheaper prices, including the free
and wildly popular VMware Player (if anyone can tell me how to install this
puppy, write me at
[email protected]).
This week Redmond fought back with a new,
free version of Microsoft Virtual Server that's becoming increasingly
Unix- and Linux-friendly. You might remember that Virtual Server used to cost
as much as a grand, then was cut in price five-fold. Add to this liberal licensing
terms for virtual Windows servers and we may just have a virtual revolution
in the making.
Microsoft Adds Smarts to Its Business Intelligence Line
Microsoft is serious about business intelligence, pushing SQL Server
for BI and adding a range of tools that somehow fit into the BI space, including
the next rev of Office. Now Redmond has bought a little piece of the BI pie
with its purchase
of ProClarity, a company that has been adding BI value to various Microsoft
apps. Expect a rebranding within a year.
Charles in Space
Microsoft genius and sometime Martha Stewart boy-toy Charles Simonyi is going
into the ether. No, not cyberspace, which the Hungarian-born software guru knows
all too well: Simonyi is literally going into the ether as a space tourist,
the fifth such civilian to hop on a Russian rocket and blast into space. Like
Paul Allen, the mega-rich Simonyi truly enjoy his wealth, spending countless
dollars on foreign cars and $10 million homes. Find out what other ex-execs
are up to here.
And for more on Charles' trip, go here.
| Subscribe
to Redmond Report |
This column
was originally published in our weekly Redmond Report newsletter.
To subscribe, click here. |
|
|
MySpace Clamping Down
Free speech freaks (I'm only a semi-freak, as free speech is far from
absolute) are having conniptions over MySpace.com taking
down 200,000 profiles it found offensive or too sexy. One motive might be
the bad press from all the child molesters preying on members, kids showcasing
illegal activities, and one young member committing murder and fleeing to the
Midwest (all murderers and runway brides flee to the Midwest, it seems). Another
reason could be political arch-conservative Rupert Murdoch, who just bought
MySpace. His sitcoms on Fox TV might push the envelope, but not so with his
Web properties, I guess. (Tell me where I'm wrong at [email protected].)
Still, a profile on MySpace is a privilege, not a right, and if Rupert wants
to clamp down, it's his business.
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.