Build a Better Business Case

Need cash for your next big project? Don't sweat it -- IT managers share their time-tested tips for prying open the corporate wallet. 07/01/2005

Q&A: IAMCP Wants You!

IT Weekly Roundup, July 1

From the business wires this week: an authentication software that restricts access to a computer's apps, a logon script processor, and a developer's ActiveX component for .PDF files. 07/01/2005

Partner Watch, July 1

What's New in R2

Bill likes much of what he finds in the latest Windows Server 2003 upgrade. 07/01/2005

Halt: Who Goes There?

Biometric devices offer more security than standalone passwords. Here are three products that go beyond the basics for authentication and verification. 07/01/2005

Mobile Feature Pack to Upgrade Security

Technologies coming this fall should make configuring, administering and securing exchange e-mail via mobile phones an order of magnitude easier. 07/01/2005

Virtual Server Grows Up

Beta Man highlights the enhancements Service Pack 1 brings to Virtual Server 2005. 07/01/2005

Shavlik to Unveil U.S. Partner Programs

Management Muscle

AppManager gives you the tools you need to keep a firm grip on network operations. 07/01/2005

CIO Blind Spots

Can CIOs really be the all-knowing technology gurus we want them to be? 07/01/2005

Get Your Groove On

Remote collaboration moves forward with Groove Virtual Office's many workflow tools. 07/01/2005

Steps Microsoft Should Take to Improve Security

The topic this month is no laughing matter. 07/01/2005

A Script for Success

Former Novell VAR aims to put Boca Raton on Windows map -- again. 07/01/2005

It's Groove Baby!

Redmond's newest CTO hopes to make his mark on Microsoft's collaboration efforts, and perhaps much more. 07/01/2005

Dump Your DMZ!

Many DMZs aren't as secure as you might think -- here's how to determine if yours have outlived their usefulness. 07/01/2005

ANALYSIS: Channel Waits for Sun-Microsoft Dust to Settle

WSUS: Better Name, Better Product

Readers report that Microsoft's Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) tool is a vast improvement over its predecessor SUS. 07/01/2005

An Open Look at Groupware

Open source groupware is better than ever, but for those seeking to replace Exchange, some caveats apply. Jim Conley examines the state of open source groupware and why it matters in a Microsoft shop. 07/01/2005

Partners May Find Big Bucks in Disk-Based Backup

Microsoft to announce pricing, availability for Systems Center Data Protection Manager at Partner confab in early July. 07/01/2005

Assessments, E-Learning for SQL Server, Visual Studio

Free assessments, e-learning packages for developers to understand their abilities with new Microsoft software to be released in November. 06/30/2005

Microsoft to Launch XP Starter Edition in Mexico

Microsoft this week launched the seventh localized version of its low-cost, reduced-feature Windows XP Starter Edition designed for first-time PC buyers -- this one for Mexico. 06/29/2005

Microsoft Releases Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 SP4

Microsoft posted Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, a group of more than 50 security fixes for the five-year-old operating system that enters the extended support phase next week. Microsoft reiterated that there will be no Service Pack 5 for Windows 2000. 06/29/2005

Tenrox Readies Doc Management for SharePoint

Tenrox says it will add next month document management capabilities to its modular project and workforce management software for mid-sized to large organizations. 06/28/2005

Symantec and Veritas Owners Confirm Merger

In overwhelmingly positive votes, the shareholders of both Symantec and Veritas have confirmed the merger of the anti-virus giant with the utility computing dynamo. The deal is expected to close by the end of the week, according to a statement by the two firms. 06/28/2005

AMD Sues Intel -- Alleges Unfair Trade Practices

Advanced Micro Devices sued Intel Corp. over antitrust issues on Monday, bringing the companies’ often contentious competition to a boil in federal district court in Delaware. 06/28/2005

Intel’s Rounds Out CPU Lines With 64 Bit Addressing

Intel announced this week that, with the latest Celeron D processors, its entire CPU line from servers to desktops now support its 64-bit addressing technology. 06/28/2005

Partner Program Adds New Office Exams

If information posted on a testing provider's Web site is correct, Microsoft Partner competency exams will feature Office exams. 06/27/2005

IT Weekly Roundup, June 24

From the business wires this week: a Cisco VPN client for mobile devices, Windows-to-Mac porting software and a USB authentication token. 06/24/2005

AMD Delivers New Turion 64 – HP Rolls Out Matching Laptop

HP unveiled an 64-bit laptop based on a new mobile CPU from AMD that it hopes will strike a chord with small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) due to the system's price and performance. 06/24/2005

Windows XP N Not Catching on in Europe

OEMs and retailers are citing a lack of customer interest for their decisions not to load onto new computers or stock the version of Windows XP without the Windows Media Player that the European Commission ordered Microsoft to offer, according to a media report. 06/23/2005

Gartner: Port Sniffing Spike May Signal Effort to Exploit Microsoft SMB Flaw

An analyst with Gartner warned customers that a recent spike in scanning activity on TCP Port 445 may mean attackers are gearing up to exploit a flaw patched last week by Microsoft in the widely used SMB protocol. 06/23/2005

Cisco Debuts Application Oriented Networking Technologies

Cisco announced the first products to support its Application Oriented Networking or AON initiative this week at the company’s Networkers 2005 conference in Las Vegas. Due out the chute later this year are AON modules – blades – to fit into data center switches and branch office routers. 06/23/2005

Internet Explorer Open to Phishing Attack

After evaluating a publicly reported phishing method that affects Internet Explorer among other browsers, Microsoft published a security advisory this week to let users know that it will not issue a security update to close off the attack vector. 06/22/2005

Windows 2000 Moves into Extended Support Next Month

Windows 2000, Microsoft's five year-old operating system for servers and business desktops, will switch into the "extended support" phase of the product lifecycle after June 30. 06/22/2005

Microsoft Communicator to Get Web Access Version

Microsoft is taking the Web-enablement concept that produced Outlook Web Access and extending it to its new real-time communication client, Microsoft Office Communicator. 06/21/2005

Courtois to Head Microsoft's International Efforts

Microsoft named its top European executive, Jean-Philippe Courtois, to a newly created position of Microsoft International president, in which he will lead international sales, marketing and services. 06/21/2005

Countdown To Your New Microsoft Deal, Part IV: Epilogue

What to do AFTER you've signed to get the most out of your contract and make the process less painful next time. 06/21/2005

Blocker Tool Provided for Windows Server 2003 SP1

Microsoft on Tuesday posted a blocker tool to help organizations prevent Automatic Updates from automatically downloading and installing Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 on their systems. 06/21/2005

Microsoft Completes Sybari Acquisition

Microsoft completed the acquisition of Sybari Software on Tuesday and announced product plans, which include discontinuing new sales of the secure messaging company's products for Linux and Unix platforms. 06/21/2005

Mail at the Ready

Quick way to provide e-mail on your systems via scripting. 06/20/2005

IT Weekly Roundup, June 17

From the business wires this week: a centralized console for deploying security patches, solutions that notify users of vulnerabilities in need of patching, and automated inventory software. 06/17/2005

70-293, 70-294 Simulation Exams Delayed to August

Microsoft to delay simulations for 70-293, 70-294 to work on smoother rollout for international language versions. 06/16/2005

Three Security Bulletins Re-Released in June

As part of its monthly patch release this week, Microsoft re-released three older security bulletins to fix various problems with them. 06/15/2005

Spyware, Meet CounterSpy 1.5

Tampa Bay, Fla.-based Sunbelt Software released version 1.5 of its CounterSpy Enterprise anti-spyware detection and removal tool. 06/15/2005

St. Bernard Takes a Bite Out of Spyware

San Diego-based St. Bernard Software announced it is shipping of SpyExpert, a standalone anti-spyware software solution for small-to-medium-sized businesses. 06/15/2005

Microsoft Separates Tools from Compute Cluster Edition

Microsoft will deliver its Windows Server 2003, Compute Cluster Edition, for high-performance grid computing in two pieces to offer customers maximum flexibility in deployment, a senior Microsoft product manager says. 06/15/2005

Titus Labs Updates E-mail Rights Management Tool

Titus Labs began shipping MessageRights version 2.5, which adds features that make it easier to deploy and use Microsoft’s Windows Rights Management Services. 06/15/2005

Quest Updates Tool for Migrating from NDS to Active Directory

Quest Software is shipping the latest release of a tool designed to simplify migration from Novell NDS to Microsoft Active Directory. 06/15/2005

New Boundary Readies IT Tool Suite

New Boundary Technologies says it will ship next month a suite that bundles its existing software deployment and patch management products with a new tool for asset management. 06/14/2005