The report from Redmond this week is that Microsoft's security initiatives are making progress. Of course, it helps to consider the source here.
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/28/20090 comments
These are the final days of Windows Vista, if indeed Vista ever had its day to begin with. Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are done. Microsoft has apparently released them to manufacturing.
There's not much more that we can say about Windows 7 that we haven't already said. The bottom line is that it had better be good -- and it does look good. All Windows 7 has to do is save a fairly large portion of Microsoft's financial bacon that has taken a hit thanks to Vista, netbooks and (all together now) the economy.
More
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/23/20091 comments
Like summer road crews trying to fill winter pot holes, Microsoft is scrambling to patch a security hole in Windows. But it's proving tougher to fix than that gaping chasm that ruined your tires this spring.
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/23/20090 comments
No surprise here. Intel isn't exactly happy with the European Union's antitrust ruling. Lawyers, please.
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/23/20090 comments
So, Microsoft is contributing to the Linux kernel with 20,000 lines of Hyper-V code. The headline glut about this story basically boils down to one thing: both Linux and Microsoft have finally arrived. Obviously, it's a victory of sorts for the Linux folks to have Microsoft acknowledge that it can't beat them down with lawsuits and saber-rattling.
But surely participation in the kernel from Microsoft helps legitimize Linux among the skeptics who are still out there. And any cooperation between two rivals that makes interoperability more feasible for partners and customers is something we like. So, in this case, we say hooray for reality. At least for now.
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/22/20090 comments
Yes, this Microsoft store thing is serious...and Redmond has hired a former retail guru from Apple to really get the thing rolling. Of course, this sort of thing is of little concern to enterprise partners, but it's not the greatest news for smaller Microsoft channel members who might actually have to compete with these stores to some extent. We don't think Microsoft will abandon its channel, but the Microsoft shop could be a hassle at the low end. We'll see how Microsoft's little effort goes over in comparison to Apple's super-cool retail outlets.
More
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/22/20090 comments
The other day, while lounging in a hammock on his back porch, your editor spotted a hawk circling overhead. He was probably using that super hawk vision to try to pick out a field mouse or a rabbit or something to snatch away...or he could have been working for Microsoft.
A couple of weeks ago, enterprise resource planning vendor Sage Software's biggest U.S. reseller, MIS Group, just shut down, and somewhat unexpectedly at that. Here's where that hawk -- or maybe more of a vulture -- comes into play.
More
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/22/20092 comments
If you read tech news at all, you know by now that Google is developing an operating system designed to run on the Web and work primarily on netbooks. (Here's Google's own take on the Chrome OS.)
Naturally, we've seen the words "Microsoft killer" pop up more than once in the last couple of days. But we're more inclined to believe that, in the short term at least, the Chrome OS might bruise Windows but won't come close to killing it.
More
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/09/20095 comments
When you see the folks from Redmond and some EU competition wonks hoisting big goblets of Belgian beer, you'll know they've reached some sort of agreement. Until then, discussions continue.
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/09/20090 comments
If you're anywhere near Greater Boston, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this week is the storm before the calm, given the rain we've had lately. But, in truth, it's the calm before the storm.
That's because Microsoft will hold its Worldwide Partner Conference next week in New Orleans. And while storms are still (understandably) a sensitive subject on the banks of the Mississippi, we're only talking here about a metaphorical storm. This one will bring partners, not rain, pouring into NOLA. (By the way, we say well-done to Microsoft for selecting New Orleans for both Convergence and the Partner Conference this year. RCPU is officially a big fan of the Big Easy.)
More
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/08/20090 comments
Better together? Not when one Microsoft application starts deleting data from another, as can happen, apparently, with Forefront and SharePoint due to a bug in the security suite.
Posted by Lee Pender on 07/08/20090 comments