Microsoft says crisis will impact tech
ZDNet Government — September 30th, 2008 Microsoft says crisis will impact tech Posted by Richard Koman @ September 30, 2008 @ 11:59 AM Categories: Congress , Microsoft Tags: Bank , Japan , Financial , Wall Street , Crisis , Microsoft Corp. , Government , Financial Accounting , Vertical Industries , Financial Services [image] The way economists see it, there’s the financial economy and the “real” economy. While Wall Street is in a genuine crisis and there’s clearly been a tightening of credit, it’s not ...

How much would an $800 Apple laptop hurt Microsoft?
All about Microsoft — October 9th, 2008 How much would an $800 Apple laptop hurt Microsoft? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:47 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows XP , Apple , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 Tags: PC , Microsoft Windows Vista , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Laptop Computer , Microsoft Windows , Ultramobile PCs (UMPCs) , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Desktops , Operating ...

Microsoft Live Labs launches politically focused social-media site
All about Microsoft — October 9th, 2008 Microsoft Live Labs launches politically focused social-media site Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:36 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Research , Web 2.0 Tags: Web , Social Media , Microsoft Corp. , Channel Management , Blogging , Marketing , Internet , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft’s Live Labs — the Microsoft incubation lab that combines Microsoft researchers with MSN product managers — has launched a new technology preview, just in time for the U.S. presidential election. Live ...

Microsoft renames its ‘D’ language ‘M’
All about Microsoft — October 10th, 2008 Microsoft renames its ‘D’ language ‘M’ Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:28 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Development tools , .Net Framework , Code names , PDC 2008 , Oslo , Visual Studio 10 ("Hawaii") Tags: Microsoft Visual Studio , Oslo , Microsoft Corp. , Modeling , Research & Development , Business Operations , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft is continuing to slowly trickle out details about its Oslo modeling strategy. The latest info ...

Microsoft Big Brains: Gary Flake
All about Microsoft — October 10th, 2008 Microsoft Big Brains: Gary Flake Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:08 am Categories: Windows client , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Research , Search , MSN , Advertising , Microsoft Big Brains Tags: Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Team Management , Search , Strategy , Management , Mary Jo Foley Just before retiring from day-to-day responsibilities at Microsoft, Chairman Bill Gates said that he expected Microsoft’s 22 Technical Fellows to ...

Microsoft expected to release Silverlight 2.0 next week
All about Microsoft — October 10th, 2008 Microsoft expected to release Silverlight 2.0 next week Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:06 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Development tools , .Net Framework , Silverlight (wpf/e) , Apple Tags: Microsoft Silverlight , Microsoft Corp. , Apple Mac OS X , Apple Mac OS , RSS , .Net , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Internet It sounds like Monday October 13 is the day that Microsoft will announce that Silverlight 2.0 is done. ...

Live Services as Microsoft’s consumer Web platform
All about Microsoft — October 10th, 2008 Live Services as Microsoft’s consumer Web platform Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 2:40 pm Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Development tools , Management tools , .Net Framework , Web 2.0 , Virtualization , Search , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Live Mesh Tags: Web , Microsoft Corp. , Live Platform , Channel Management , Marketing , Mary Jo Foley It’s been tricky keeping separate all of the “layers” in the ...

Silverlight 2: Google Chrome support, yes; iPhone, no
All about Microsoft — ... no Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:39 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Development tools , Visual Studio 2008 (Orcas) , .Net Framework , Windows Mobile , Expression Studio , Silverlight (wpf/e) , Apple , Linux , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Google , PDC 2008 Tags: Apple iPhone , Google Inc. , Microsoft Silverlight , Microsoft Corp. , Google Chrome , Microsoft Windows , Web Browsers , ...

Microsoft readies next two versions of Office Communications Server
All about Microsoft — October 13th, 2008 Microsoft readies next two versions of Office Communications Server Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:52 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Office , Channel , VOIP , Telecommunications , Speech , Network service providers , Web conferencing , Office 14 Tags: Communications Server , Server , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Office Communications Server , OCS Release 2 , Microsoft Office , Office Suites , Software , Mary Jo Foley ...

Microsoft and Yahoo: Ballmer’s ‘failure’ now a ‘dodged bullet’
All about Microsoft — October 13th, 2008 Microsoft and Yahoo: Ballmer’s ‘failure’ now a ‘dodged bullet’ Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 2:11 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Search , Advertising , Yahoo Tags: Steve Ballmer , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Asset Management , Search , Operational Planning , Business Operations , Mary Jo Foley Remember that eleventh-hour decision — when Microsoft opted not to buy Yahoo? Remember how so many pundits portrayed CEO Steve Ballmer’s walking away as a fireable ...

Would you pay $1,499 for the Microsoft ‘Oahu’ Surface table?
All about Microsoft — October 14th, 2008 Would you pay $1,499 for the Microsoft ‘Oahu’ Surface table? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:04 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Code names , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 , Surface , PDC 2008 Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Survey , Oahu , Marketing Research , Marketing , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft has been dangling the possibility of a smaller, more consumer-centric version of its Surface multi-touch tabletop computer ...

Microsoft pushes idea of “Apple tax”
Hardware 2.0 — October 14th, 2008 Microsoft pushes idea of “Apple tax” Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 7:45 am Categories: Apple , Microsoft , Marketing Tags: Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Taxes , Free Trade , Financial Planning , Finance , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes With more people turning to Apple products, and the holiday season just around the corner, Microsoft is keen to emphasize the fact that users looking to switch from Microsoft face the “Apple tax.” In an interview with CNET’s Ina Fried , ...

Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7
All about Microsoft — October 15th, 2008 Microsoft aiming to deliver Vista SP2 before Windows 7 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 4:43 am Categories: Vista , Windows Server 2008/ Windows Server Longhorn , Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 , Service Pack , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Service Pack 2 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Windows Team , Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 , Microsoft Windows , ...

Microsoft plays up ‘less is more’ as its holiday retail message
All about Microsoft — October 15th, 2008 Microsoft plays up ‘less is more’ as its holiday retail message Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:15 pm Categories: Vista , Windows client , Windows Live , Windows Mobile , Zune , Xbox , Xbox Live , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Search , Advertising , Gaming Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Tools & Techniques , Management , Mary Jo Foley , Phone , Hewlett-Packard Co. , Microsoft ...

Ballmer: It’s ok to wait until Windows 7; Yahoo still ‘makes sense’; Google Apps ‘primitive’
Between the Lines — ... ok to wait until Windows 7; Yahoo still ‘makes sense’; Google Apps ‘primitive’ Posted by Larry Dignan @ 8:53 am Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Web Technology , Gartner Symposium , Google , Microsoft , Cloud computing , Gartner Symposium 2008 Tags: Google Inc. , Google Apps , Microsoft Windows 7 , Steve Ballmer , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , ...

Microsoft wants you to move: To IE 8, Vista…
Between the Lines — October 16th, 2008 Microsoft wants you to move: To IE 8, Vista… Posted by Larry Dignan @ 9:35 am Categories: General , IT Management , Software Infrastructure , Gartner Symposium , Linux , Microsoft , Gartner Symposium 2008 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Office , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Software , Larry Dignan A ...

Ballmer: ‘Windows 7 will be Vista, but a lot better’
All about Microsoft — ... , Microsoft Corp. It seems Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has finally thrown in the towel. Vista’s biggest cheerleader seems about ready to give up trying to convince anyone who hasn’t yet upgraded to Windows Vista that waiting for Windows 7 is a bad idea. ...

Microsoft’s online/offline sync platform (re)released to manufacturing
All about Microsoft — October 17th, 2008 Microsoft’s online/offline sync platform (re)released to manufacturing Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:29 am Categories: Database , SQL Server , Corporate strategy , Service Pack , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Live Mesh Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Sync Framework , Manufacturing , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft ADO.NET , .Net , Databases , Software Development , Software/Web Development , Enterprise Software An updated version of ...

Keeping track of Microsoft … by the codenames
All about Microsoft — October 17th, 2008 Keeping track of Microsoft … by the codenames Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:32 am Categories: Housekeeping , Corporate strategy , Code names Tags: Codename , Microsoft Corp. , Productivity , Mary Jo Foley , E-mail , Online Communications I’ve mentioned before that I keep a running list of Microsoft codenames; it’s one of my favorite home-grown reference tools. That list is now available to you in the form of a handy PDF. The “All About Microsoft” CodeTracker is a chart I’ll be upating every ...

Non-Microsoft developers to get a peek at CHESS concurrency test tool
All about Microsoft — October 17th, 2008 Non-Microsoft developers to get a peek at CHESS concurrency test tool Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:18 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Development tools , Research , .Net Framework , Code names , Robotics , Multicore/distributed computing , PDC 2008 Tags: Developer , Team , Tool , Team Management , Management , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Corp. , CHESS , Productivity Microsoft’s CHESS , a two-year-in-the-making tool from ...

I’m a PC: We don’t say the “V” word any more
Hardware 2.0 — ... , Microsoft Corp. New Apple ads are out, and rather than telling us anything about Apple or Mac OS they poke fun at Microsoft’s latest ad campaign. Here, take a look: Bean Counter - This ad takes a poke at Microsoft’s $300 million ad campaign. I wonder how much these new ads are costing Apple? Hmmm … “V” Word - This ad points out to viewers how Microsoft is shying away from the word “Vista.” It doesn’t matter whether you like Vista or hate Vista, the fact that the name is tarnished is now inescapable. If Microsoft’s ...

Microsoft Big Brains: Brian Harry
All about Microsoft — October 20th, 2008 Microsoft Big Brains: Brian Harry Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:28 am Categories: Development tools , Visual Studio 2008 (Orcas) , .Net Framework , Silverlight (wpf/e) , PDC 2008 , Oslo , Visual Studio 10 ("Hawaii") , Microsoft Big Brains Tags: Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Corp. , Team Management , Management , CLR , .Net , Research & Development , Middleware , Microsoft Windows , Software Development Just ...

Reading the Redmondian ‘Live’ tea leaves
All about Microsoft — October 20th, 2008 Reading the Redmondian ‘Live’ tea leaves Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:50 am Categories: Windows Live , Office Live , Corporate strategy , Web 2.0 , Web conferencing , Office Live Workspace , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Office , Collaboration , Office Suites , Software , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Office Live Rajesh Jha, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President in charge of Office Live, is now also heading up ...

Microsoft to Mac enterprise bloggers: How much to sell out Apple?
The Apple Core — October 20th, 2008 Microsoft to Mac enterprise bloggers: How much to sell out Apple? Posted by David Morgenstern @ 7:30 pm Categories: Opinion , MacBook , Microsoft Tags: Apple Macintosh , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Blogger , Apple Mac OS X , Apple Mac OS , Desktops , Operating Systems , Software , Hardware Do switchers now rule the Mac? Vista is much better than Mac OS X, right? For the enterprise. And how much will it take to get you to write up that thesis? Such ...

Microsoft’s “Don’t Talk Like a Pirate” day
Hardware 2.0 — October 21st, 2008 Microsoft’s “Don’t Talk Like a Pirate” day Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 12:39 pm Categories: Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes , Piracy , Business Operations , Corporate Law , Antipiracy , Linux , Operating Systems , Software Not sure how I missed this until now: Microsoft plans on Tuesday to announce “Global Anti-Piracy Day,” an effort to gain attention for the steps the company undertakes in order to thwart those who would profit from ...

Lawyer claims that Microsoft is “biggest hacker in China”
Hardware 2.0 — October 22nd, 2008 Lawyer claims that Microsoft is “biggest hacker in China” Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 7:12 am Categories: Microsoft Tags: China , Lawyer , Microsoft Corp. , Hacker , Hacking , Piracy , Security , Business Operations , Corporate Law , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes Microsoft has decided to do something about piracy in China. In a country where 82% of all software is pirated Microsoft has this month decided to roll out Windows Genuine Advantage  (WGA). This ...

New signs point to Windows 7 debuting earlier than expected
All about Microsoft — October 22nd, 2008 New signs point to Windows 7 debuting earlier than expected Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:22 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 , PDC 2008 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Corp. , WinHEC As I’ve mentioned a couple of times on this blog, Microsoft privately is telling some of its ...

Microsoft’s Richard Sprague eats crow on iPhone
The Apple Core — October 22nd, 2008 Microsoft’s Richard Sprague eats crow on iPhone Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 9:35 am Categories: Microsoft , iPhone Tags: Apple iPhone , Phone , Microsoft Corp. , Thought , Microsoft Windows , Telecom & Utilities , Operating Systems , Software , Jason D. O'Grady [image] In a blog post in 18 January 2007 Microsoft’s Richard Sprague wrote: So please mark this post and come back in two years to see the results of my prediction:  I predict they will not ...

Bill Gates founds a new tech company
All about Microsoft — October 22nd, 2008 Bill Gates founds a new tech company Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:58 pm Categories: Corporate strategy Tags: Bill Gates , Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley , Think Tank , Productivity Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates has founded a new company (some time in between sleeping and working countless hours for the Gates Foundation and a day a week for Microsoft ). Todd Bishop — the former Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter now at the Puget Sound Business Journal’s newly launched TechFlash site — has ...

Another Apple ad slams Microsoft Vista campaign
Hardware 2.0 — October 22nd, 2008 Another Apple ad slams Microsoft Vista campaign Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 1:23 pm Categories: Apple , Microsoft , Ad industry Tags: Advertisement , Microsoft Windows Vista , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes Today sees another Apple ad make an appearance - the third to directly slam Microsoft’s $300 million Vista ad campaign: I gotta get me a few of ...

Microsoft to release critical Windows security patch on October 23
All about Microsoft — October 23rd, 2008 Microsoft to release critical Windows security patch on October 23 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 3:15 am Categories: Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Security Tags: Windows Security , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Patches , Operating Systems , Security , Software , Mary Jo Foley It’s not Patch Tuesday today, but Microsoft is pushing out a Windows security patch, marked as “Critical,” on Thursday October 23 . Microsoft has been ...

Amazon battens down the hatches before Microsoft’s cloud launch next week
All about Microsoft — October 23rd, 2008 Amazon battens down the hatches before Microsoft’s cloud launch next week Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:50 am Categories: Windows server , Corporate strategy , System Center , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 Tags: Amazon.com Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Windows , Cloud Computing , Databases , Enterprise Software , Operating Systems , Software , Data Management Amazon has made a few tweaks and additions to its Elastic ...

Microsoft starts another Windows 7 blog
All about Microsoft — October 23rd, 2008 Microsoft starts another Windows 7 blog Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:18 am Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Development tools , Windows 7 , PDC 2008 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Blog , Microsoft Corp. , Blogging , Microsoft Windows , Internet , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley For those who may be finding the Engineering Windows 7 blog a little … theoretical … for their tastes, there’s a new Microsoft-backed Windows ...

Microsoft’s cash cow keeps humming, but outlook light
Between the Lines — October 23rd, 2008 Microsoft’s first quarter: Outlook light; Office shines online doesn’t Posted by Larry Dignan @ 1:23 pm Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Microsoft Tags: Revenue , Wall Street , Microsoft Corp. , Earnings , Operational Accounting , Finance , Larry Dignan Microsoft on Thursday handily topped its revenue targets and slid by Wall Street estimates with solid fiscal first quarter results, but cut its outlook for the December quarter. For its first quarter ending Sept. 30, ...

Microsoft’s Fiscal 2009 Q1: The good, bad and (not so) ugly
All about Microsoft — October 24th, 2008 Microsoft’s Fiscal 2009 Q1: The good, bad and (not so) ugly Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:54 am Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Office Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Earnings , Financial Accounting , Finance , Mary Jo Foley , Revenue , Operational Accounting , Microsoft Office , Office Suites , Software There are a lot of write-ups around the Web aboutMicrosoft’s first quarter earnings for fiscal 2009, which the company announced on October ...

Microsoft launches a development-tool-focused incubator
All about Microsoft — October 24th, 2008 Microsoft launches a development-tool-focused incubator Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:26 am Categories: Development tools , Office , Research , MSN , Advertising , Popfly mashup tool , Multicore/distributed computing Tags: Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Corp. , DevLabs , Productivity , Collaboration Microsoft has launched yet another hybrid product-research lab — this one focused on the development-tool arena. The newly formed DevLabs joins Microsoft’s growing list of ...

Microsoft to release Vista SP2 beta to more testers next week
All about Microsoft — October 24th, 2008 Microsoft to release Vista SP2 beta to more testers next week Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:36 am Categories: Vista , Windows Server 2008/ Windows Server Longhorn , Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 , Service Pack Tags: Service Pack 2 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , Tester , Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows ...

Next week: All PDC, all the time
All about Microsoft — October 24th, 2008 Next week: All PDC, all the time Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:50 pm Categories: Windows client , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Development tools , Research , .Net Framework , Silverlight (wpf/e) , Windows 7 , Robotics , PDC 2008 , Oslo , Visual Studio 10 ("Hawaii") Tags: Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Corp. , Strategy , Management , Microsoft Windows , Podcasts , Operating Systems , Software , ...

Microsoft: Expect Vista SP2 in the first half of 2009
All about Microsoft — October 24th, 2008 Microsoft: Expect Vista SP2 in the first half of 2009 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 3:34 pm Categories: Vista , Windows Server 2008/ Windows Server Longhorn , Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 , Service Pack , PDC 2008 Tags: Service Pack 2 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows , Software , ...

Windows 7 pre-beta build: What’s inside
All about Microsoft — ... , Microsoft Corp. Microsoft isn’t going to show Windows 7 to attendees of the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles until Tuesday, October 28. But new info about what’s part of the pre-beta build that will be provided to show-goers is beginning to trickle out. According to a variety of sources, the build that will be distributed at PDC — and, a week-plus later, at the company’s Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) — will be one of the M3 (Milestone 3) builds. Like the build that leaked in September, this will be a 6801 numbered build, sources say. ...

Windows 7: Five things Microsoft must do
Between the Lines — October 27th, 2008 Windows 7: Five things Microsoft must do Posted by Jason Hiner @ 2:00 am Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Jason Hiner , Operating System , Microsoft Windows Vista We’re going to be hearing a lot about Windows 7 over the next two weeks as Microsoft convenes its Professional Developers Conference (PDC) and the Windows Hardware Engineering ...

Microsoft readies pre-beta release of ‘Windows 7 Server’
All about Microsoft — October 27th, 2008 Microsoft readies pre-beta release of ‘Windows 7 Server’ Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:03 am Categories: Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") , PDC 2008 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Server 2008 , Operating Systems , Servers , Software , Hardware , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Windows Server Microsoft is ...

Windows 7 must support netbooks
Hardware 2.0 — October 27th, 2008 Windows 7 must support netbooks Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 9:12 am Categories: Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Pundits , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes , Operating System , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) There’s been a lot of chat lately about Windows 7, Microsoft’s replacement to the image-tarnished Windows Vista. Pundits are drawing up wishlists for the OS left, right ...

Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform: A guide for the perplexed
All about Microsoft — October 27th, 2008 Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform: A guide for the perplexed Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:42 pm Categories: Windows Server 2008/ Windows Server Longhorn , Windows server , Corporate strategy , .Net Framework , Virtualization , Utility/cloud computing , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") , PDC 2008 Tags: Developer , Microsoft SharePoint , Microsoft Corp. , Azure , Data Centers , Microsoft Windows , Virtualization , ...

Why ‘Azure’?
All about Microsoft — October 27th, 2008 Why ‘Azure’? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 2:13 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Azure Tags: Mary Jo Foley , Cloud , Microsoft Corp. , Azure , Storage , Hardware How did Microsoft end up going f rom “Red Dog” to bright blue (Azure) in naming its just-unveiled cloud operating environment? Microsoft evangelist Anand Iyer provides the official explanation on his blog:“ Azure is a vibrant, dynamic and uplifting color . Azure is also ...

Microsoft to ‘webify’ Office (sort of)
All about Microsoft — October 28th, 2008 Microsoft to ‘webify’ Office (sort of) Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:09 am Categories: Office Live , Office , Office 14 , Office Live Workspace , PDC 2008 Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Office , Office Suites , Software , Mary Jo Foley , Web Application , Office Web Application Microsoft is finally doing what many have been clamoring for — making Web-based versions of its Office apps available — but in a different way than expected. As part of the Office 14 release ...

Windows 7: What’s coming for business users
All about Microsoft — ... , Microsoft Corp. Microsoft showed off publicly for the first time Windows 7 at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) on October 28. But almost everything shown were consumer-focused features. Does that mean Windows 7 won’t have anything for businesses? Microsoft officials say Windows 7 will include enterprise functionality, too, even though today’s PDC keynote didn’t highlight it. (For ...

Windows 7: Will it completely freeze Vista deployments?
Between the Lines — October 28th, 2008 Windows 7: Will it completely freeze Vista deployments? Posted by Larry Dignan @ 11:05 am Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Software , Larry Dignan If Windows 7 is Vista done better, will go beta in early 2009 and built on a foundation that’s working today why wouldn’t you wait for it? [image] The ...

A report card: Microsoft’s Ozzie grades his three years of ‘disruption’
All about Microsoft — October 28th, 2008 A report card: Microsoft’s Ozzie grades his three years of ‘disruption’ Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:59 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Web 2.0 , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Live Mesh Tags: Card , Microsoft Corp. , Internet , Mary Jo Foley , Ray Ozzie , Change Management , Microsoft Office , Collaboration , Team Management , Tools & Techniques Three years ago today, on October 28, 2005, Microsoft’s now Chief ...

Online Office: Microsoft keeps promising while Google delivers
Between the Lines — October 28th, 2008 Online Office: Microsoft keeps promising while Google delivers Posted by Sam Diaz @ 4:46 pm Categories: General , Web Technology , Google , Microsoft , Cloud computing Tags: Google Inc. , Web , Microsoft Corp. , Foley , Microsoft Office , Microsoft Excel , Office Suites , Software , Sam Diaz No one really expected Microsoft to completely abandon the idea of desktop software, did they? Today, at the Professional Developers Conference, the company ...

Liveblogging Microsoft PDC keynote day three: Robotics and research
All about Microsoft — October 29th, 2008 Liveblogging Microsoft PDC keynote day three: Robotics and research Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:29 am Categories: Research , Robotics , PDC 2008 Tags: Robotics , Microsoft Corp. , Robots , Blogging , Emerging Technologies , Internet , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software Our cabal of bloggers from across a variety of pubs and sites is  back again live blogging the Professional Developers Conference (PDC) day three keynote. Today ...

Microsoft PDC attendees get ‘the goods’
All about Microsoft — October 29th, 2008 Microsoft PDC attendees get ‘the goods’ Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:04 am Categories: Development tools , .Net Framework , Silverlight (wpf/e) , Robotics , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Visual Studio 10 ("Hawaii") , Azure Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Attendee , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Server 2008 , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley , UXEvangelist Blog , .Net , Microsoft Development Tools ...

Ozzie responds: Is Microsoft Azure just ‘Hailstorm’ revisited?
All about Microsoft — October 29th, 2008 Ozzie responds: Is Microsoft Azure just ‘Hailstorm’ revisited? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:57 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Live Mesh , Azure Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Ozzie , Mary Jo Foley , Ray Ozzie , Hailstorm , Strategy , Management At the Professional Developer Conference (PDC) in Los Angeles, I’ve heard a few long-time Microsoft watchers wondering aloud whether Microsoft’s newly unveiled “Azure” isn’t simply Microsoft ...

Microsoft’s Live Framework: A (revised) picture is worth a thousand words
All about Microsoft — October 29th, 2008 Microsoft’s Live Framework: A (revised) picture is worth a thousand words Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 4:07 pm Categories: Development tools , Silverlight (wpf/e) , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Live Mesh , Azure Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Branding , Marketing , Mary Jo Foley , Developer , Application , Live Framework Microsoft’s Live Framework has evolved a bit since the company first unveiled it in April this year. Microsoft is now positioning the ...

Ghost Story: Fear of Microsoft Fades
Between the Lines — October 30th, 2008 Ghost Story: Fear of Microsoft Fades Posted by Tom Steinert-Threlkeld @ 8:09 am Categories: General , Web Technology , Legal , Apple , Linux , Google , Microsoft , SaaS , iPhone , Cloud computing Tags: Operating System , Apple Inc. , Video , Microsoft Corp. , Corporate Communications , Web Browsers , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows , Marketing , Internet As Halloween fast approaches, Apple is ...

Windows 7 to scale to 256 processors
All about Microsoft — ... , Microsoft Corp. Microsoft has been hinting that even though it had no plans to make major changes to the Windows kernel, it did have a scheme up its sleeve to ...

Does anyone expect Apple’s ads to be truthful?
Hardware 2.0 — ... , Microsoft Corp. I’ll be honest with you, I find most of Apple’s ads to be funny. However, I don’t expect them to be truthful. For example, take ...

Microsoft drops more new codenames, including another ‘Mojave’
All about Microsoft — October 30th, 2008 Microsoft drops more new codenames, including another ‘Mojave’ Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:42 am Categories: Corporate strategy , SharePoint Server , Research , Code names , VOIP , Telecommunications , Speech , Web conferencing , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Azure Tags: Codename , Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley , Paris , Microsoft Commerce Server , Microsoft Office , Mojave , Huron , Commerce ...

Add Windows Mobile 6.5 to the Microsoft roadmap
All about Microsoft — October 30th, 2008 Add Windows Mobile 6.5 to the Microsoft roadmap Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 3:26 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Windows Mobile Tags: Microsoft Windows Mobile , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Handhelds , Software , Hardware , Mary Jo Foley , Mobile , Advertising & Promotion A slip-up by a Motorola executive this week revealed that Microsoft’s next version of Windows Mobile isn’t Windows Mobile 7, but is actually ...

Microsoft: Third party apps killing our security
Between the Lines — November 3rd, 2008 Microsoft: Third party apps killing our security Posted by Larry Dignan @ 12:40 am Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Security , Web Technology , Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browser , Third Party Application , Chances , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Security , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows , Software Why would hackers target Microsoft directly when there is so much low hanging ...

Microsoft confirms MinWin is in Windows 7, after all
All about Microsoft — November 3rd, 2008 Microsoft confirms MinWin is in Windows 7, after all Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 5:24 am Categories: Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Research , Windows 7 , Multicore/distributed computing , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") , PDC 2008 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley , MinWin MinWin — the core of the Windows operating system — is, ...

Microsoft Big Brains: Brad Lovering
All about Microsoft — November 3rd, 2008 Microsoft Big Brains: Brad Lovering Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:02 am Categories: Development tools , Visual Studio 2008 (Orcas) , Dynamics ERP , Dynamics CRM , System Center , .Net Framework , Utility/cloud computing , Oslo , Visual Studio 10 ("Hawaii") , Azure Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley , Team , Oslo , Modeling , Brad Lovering , Team Management , Research & Development , Management , ...

Microsoft ranks Windows 7 features most likely to affect app-compatibility
All about Microsoft — November 4th, 2008 Microsoft ranks Windows 7 features most likely to affect app-compatibility Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:24 am Categories: Vista , Windows Server 2008/ Windows Server Longhorn , Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Windows XP , App Compatibility , Windows 7 , Service Pack , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating ...

Microsoft to enable virtualized streaming of 64-bit apps by 2010
All about Microsoft — November 4th, 2008 Microsoft to enable virtualized streaming of 64-bit apps by 2010 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:47 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , App Compatibility , Channel , Virtualization , Network service providers , Utility/cloud computing Tags: Microsoft Corp. , 64-Bit , Network Technology , Processors , Semiconductors , Hardware , Components , Networking , Mary Jo Foley , App-V Microsoft is continuing to expand on what its application ...

Microsoft offers startups software and cloud services for (almost) free
All about Microsoft — November 5th, 2008 Microsoft offers startups software and cloud services for (almost) free Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:01 am Categories: Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Development tools , Office , System Center , Web 2.0 , Utility/cloud computing , Live Mesh , Azure Tags: Software , Microsoft Corp. , Web 2.0 , Channel Management , Internet , Marketing , Mary Jo Foley , BizSpark , Groupware , ...

Google withdraws from Yahoo ad partnership. Will Microsoft rebid?
All about Microsoft — November 5th, 2008 Google withdraws from Yahoo ad partnership. Will Microsoft rebid? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:56 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Search , Google , Advertising , Yahoo Tags: Google Inc. , Advertisement , Partnership , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Business Structures , Finance , Mary Jo Foley , Agreement Google announced on November 5 that it has decided to back out of its proposed ad partnership with Yahoo rather than defend it in court. Yahoo ...

WinHEC: Microsoft shows off Windows 7 fundamentals
All about Microsoft — November 5th, 2008 WinHEC: Microsoft shows off Windows 7 fundamentals Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:47 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 , WinHEC Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley , WinHEC If last week was all about the eye candy coming in Windows 7 , this week is more about the less glitzy but core improvements Microsoft is making to its next-generation client ...

Jon DeVaan: The mystery man behind Windows 7
All about Microsoft — November 6th, 2008 Jon DeVaan: The mystery man behind Windows 7 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:20 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Office , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley , Team , Idea , Microsoft Corp. , Jon DeVaan , MJF The public face of the Windows development-chief duo is Senior Vice President Steven Sinofsky, who runs Windows and ...

Win Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 move ahead in lockstep
All about Microsoft — ... , Microsoft Corp. At its Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC), Microsoft made it clear that Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) truly are joined at the hip. During the WinHEC Day 2 keynote, Corporate Vice President of Windows Server and Solutions Bill Laing showed off a number of the new features that Microsoft will deliver in Windows Server 2008 R2 — a k a “Windows 7 Server — when it ships in the next year or so. Among them: Support for up to 256 logical processors; branch-office caching, “Bitlocker to Go” drive encryption and other new technologies ...

Microsoft buy a ‘good idea’ for Yahoo, not Microsoft
All about Microsoft — November 6th, 2008 Microsoft buy a ‘good idea’ for Yahoo, not Microsoft Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:47 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Search , Google , Advertising , Yahoo Tags: Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Search , Mary Jo Foley , Jerry Yang , Search Business Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang’s 180-degree turnaround — via which he’s now claiming that Microsoft buying Yahoo would be a “good idea” — is topping headlines today. Sure, it’s definitely a good idea for suffering Yahoo ...

Microsoft to discourage hybrid graphics systems for Windows 7
Hardware 2.0 — November 6th, 2008 Microsoft to discourage hybrid graphics systems for Windows 7 Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 3:28 pm Categories: Graphics , NVIDIA , AMD/ATI , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Corp. , Graphics , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes , GPU , Hybrid Graphic It seems that Microsoft is discouraging system manufacturers from shipping systems making use of hybrid graphics. Hybrid graphics is where a system has one GPU built onto the motherboard and another ...

Microsoft aims to poach Verizon Wireless from Google
Between the Lines — November 6th, 2008 Microsoft aims to poach Verizon Wireless from Google Posted by Larry Dignan @ 6:58 pm Categories: General , Web Technology , Mobile , Google , Microsoft , Search , Verizon Tags: Google Inc. , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Verizon Wireless , Advertising & Promotion , Search , Wi-Fi , Wireless , Marketing , Larry Dignan Microsoft is reportedly wooing Verizon Wireless in an effort to derail the wireless carrier’s ...

Microsoft? IE? WebKit? Don’t count on it
Between the Lines — November 7th, 2008 Microsoft? IE? WebKit? Don’t count on it Posted by Larry Dignan @ 3:54 am Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Web Technology , Microsoft Tags: Steve Ballmer , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , WebKit , WebKit Comment , Quality , Web Browsers , Business Operations , Internet , Larry Dignan Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s developer powwow is getting some attention on what was almost a throwaway sentence. Ballmer said Microsoft ...

Ballmer: We’re not interested in Yahoo anymore
Between the Lines — November 7th, 2008 Ballmer: We’re not interested in Yahoo anymore Posted by Larry Dignan @ 4:21 am Categories: General , Web Technology , Google , Microsoft , Search , Yahoo Tags: Jerry Yang , Steve Ballmer , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Public Relations , Web 2.0 , Mergers & Acquisitions , Business Structures , Internet , Corporate Law Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said the software giant and no intention of making a new offer for ...

Why IE 8 won’t use the WebKit rendering engine
All about Microsoft — November 7th, 2008 Why IE 8 won’t use the WebKit rendering engine Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:52 am Categories: Internet Explorer , Apple , Google Tags: Microsoft Internet Explorer , Web Browsers , Internet , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Corp. , IE 8 , WebKit , Final IE 8 Despite the fact that many developers would welcome more rendering-engine compatibility, anyone expecting Microsoft to switch out its “Trident” engine and replace it with WebKit in Internet Explorer (IE) — especially in IE 8 — ...

WebKit for IE? “Interesting,” but it’s ever going to happen
Hardware 2.0 — November 7th, 2008 WebKit for IE? “Interesting,” but it’s ever going to happen Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 12:43 pm Categories: Thoughts Tags: Honcho , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes , Web Browsers , Internet , Apple Inc. , Engine , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems I love it! Microsoft head honcho Steve Ballmer makes a throwaway comment about WebKit in response to an out-of-the-blue question and tech pundits the world over have a ...

The new rules for calculating Windows ship dates
All about Microsoft — ... , Microsoft Corp. It wasn’t long ago that whenever Microsoft gave a ship-date target for a new Windows release, IT managers would add anywhere between a few months to a couple years to it when figuring their upgrade schedules. As crazy as it sounds, the new way to calculate when a new Windows release will ship seems to be to subtract a few months or even a year from what the Softies are promising publicly. Case in point: Windows 7. Microsoft officials have been insisting for the past year-plus that early 2010 is the intended ship target. The only problem: That’s not what ...

Inside Windows’ core: A peek into Microsoft’s COSD
All about Microsoft — November 10th, 2008 Inside Windows’ core: A peek into Microsoft’s COSD Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:04 am Categories: Vista , Windows Server 2008/ Windows Server Longhorn , Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Research , Virtualization , Windows 7 , Utility/cloud computing , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") , Azure Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley , Team , ...

Sun switches search alliances from Google to Microsoft
All about Microsoft — November 10th, 2008 Sun switches search alliances from Google to Microsoft Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:01 am Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Search , Google Tags: Google Inc. , Alliance , Sun Microsystems Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , StarOffice , Blogging , Strategy , Office Suites , Software , Internet Which came first — Google dropping StarOffice from its Google Pack or ...

The time is now for a Microsoft-Yahoo search deal
Between the Lines — November 11th, 2008 The time is now for a Microsoft-Yahoo search deal Posted by Larry Dignan @ 4:51 am Categories: General , Web Technology , Google , Microsoft , Search , Yahoo Tags: Yahoo Search , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Squali , Aggarwal , Data Centers , Outsourcing , Search , Storage , Hardware The patience over Microsoft and Yahoo’s never-ending deal dance is wearing thin among the chattering class–bloggers, analysts and folks sick of ...

Microsoft Startup Labs delivers its first four Live Mesh apps
All about Microsoft — November 11th, 2008 Microsoft Startup Labs delivers its first four Live Mesh apps Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:51 am Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Development tools , Research , Web 2.0 , Silverlight (wpf/e) , PDC 2008 , Live Mesh Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley , Application , MeshPack Application , Productivity , Corporate Governance , Internet , Business Operations , Corporate Law One of the tidbits that got lost in the ...

Money talks: Microsoft edges closer to Verizon search deal
Between the Lines — November 12th, 2008 Money talks: Microsoft edges closer to Verizon search deal Posted by Larry Dignan @ 2:16 am Categories: General , Wired & Wireless , Mobile , Google , Microsoft , Search Tags: Google Inc. , Microsoft Windows Mobile , Mobile , Verizon Communications Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Verizon Wireless , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Handhelds , Advertising & Promotion Microsoft is reportedly close to ...

Windows 7 and netbooks: Separating fact from speculation
All about Microsoft — ... , Microsoft Corp. Is Microsoft going to take a revenue hit when it releases Windows 7 because of the changing mix of PCs in the market? That’s the expectation of many company watchers, though I have to admit I’m not quite so sure. Here’s why. Even though Microsoft is trying to stir up excitement for ...

Microsoft starts rolling out IE 6 for Windows Mobile
All about Microsoft — November 12th, 2008 Microsoft starts rolling out IE 6 for Windows Mobile Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:09 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Internet Explorer , Windows Mobile , Apple , Channel , OEMs , Network service providers Tags: Microsoft Windows Mobile , Mobile , Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browsers , Advertising & Promotion , Internet , Marketing ...

In tight times, Microsoft launches two new servers
All about Microsoft — November 12th, 2008 In tight times, Microsoft launches two new servers Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:05 pm Categories: Windows Server 2008/ Windows Server Longhorn , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Windows Essential Business Server (Centro) , Channel , OEMs , Systems integrators , Resellers , Windows Small Business Server (Cougar) Tags: Server , Microsoft Corp. , Small And Medium Business , Smb/Sme , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software ...

EIC podcast: Best Buy’s fall; Obama’s CTO, Microhoo; Search wars
Between the Lines — November 12th, 2008 EIC podcast: Best Buy’s fall; Obama’s CTO, Microhoo; Search wars Posted by Larry Dignan @ 1:01 pm Categories: General , Government , Google , Microsoft , Yahoo , Economy Tags: Best Buy Co. Inc. , CTO , Microsoft Corp. , Verizon Wireless , Podcasts , Operating Systems , Internet , Software , Larry Dignan [image] On this week’s EIC squared podcast Dan and I talk about the tech economy, Obama’s CTO, Yahoo and Microsoft’s potential deal with ...

Windows Live Wave 3: Microsoft’s kinder and simpler consumer services strategy?
All about Microsoft — November 12th, 2008 Windows Live Wave 3: Microsoft’s kinder and simpler consumer services strategy? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:01 pm Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy Tags: Strategy , Microsoft Windows Live , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Branding , Operating Systems , Software , Marketing , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft announced Thursday its rollout plans for what’s been known as “Windows Live Wave 3″ — the latest incarnation of the myriad Windows Live consumer-focused ...

Microsoft offers zero percent financing on Dynamics ERP and CRM
Between the Lines — November 13th, 2008 Microsoft offers zero percent financing on Dynamics ERP and CRM Posted by Larry Dignan @ 5:41 am Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Microsoft , ERP , Economy Tags: Financing , ERP , Microsoft Corp. , CRM , Investment , Financial Accounting , Finance , Larry Dignan Microsoft is taking a play from automakers as it tries to stoke demand for its enterprise applications–zero percent financing. The company said Thursday that it will offer zero percent ...

Microsoft search boss: ‘Silk Road’ will lead to greater market share
All about Microsoft — November 13th, 2008 Microsoft search boss: ‘Silk Road’ will lead to greater market share Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:37 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Research , Search , Google , Advertising , Yahoo Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Search , Strategy , Management , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Live Search , Corporate Communications , Advertising & Promotion , Marketing Microsoft is adding a fourth pillar to its search-business strategy that involves ...

Microsoft launches online store: Is there deeper meaning here?
Between the Lines — November 14th, 2008 Microsoft launches online store: Is there deeper meaning here? Posted by Larry Dignan @ 4:24 am Categories: Software Infrastructure , Hardware Infrastructure , Microsoft , E-commerce Tags: Electronic Software Distribution , Product , Online Store , Microsoft Corp. , Chow , Microsoft Store , Larry Dignan Microsoft has launched something long overdue: An online store. Yes, Virginia you can download Windows. The launch is a bit quiet. Trevin Chow, a senior program manager at ...

Microsoft touts new online store as a netbook complement
All about Microsoft — November 14th, 2008 Microsoft touts new online store as a netbook complement Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 5:01 am Categories: Windows client , Windows server , Corporate strategy , Office , Xbox , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Systems integrators , Resellers Tags: Software , Online Store , Microsoft Corp. , Tools & Techniques , Management , Mary Jo Foley , Electronic Software Distribution , Windows Marketplace , ...

New update of Microsoft codename tracker available now
All about Microsoft — November 14th, 2008 New update of Microsoft codename tracker available now Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:57 pm Categories: Housekeeping , Code names , Utility/cloud computing , Azure Tags: Update , Codename , Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley , E-mail , Productivity , Online Communications I’ve mentioned before that I keep a running list of Microsoft codenames; it’s one of my favorite home-grown reference tools. That list is now available to you in the form of a handy PDF. The “All About ...

Microsoft vs. Google Web-based office battle heats up again
All about Microsoft — November 17th, 2008 Microsoft vs. Google Web-based office battle heats up again Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:55 am Categories: Office Live , Corporate strategy , Office , Google , Office 14 , Office Live Workspace Tags: Google Inc. , Web , Microsoft Corp. , Channel Management , Marketing , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Office , Office Suites , Software After a few months of relative quiet, the war of words and customer wins is on again, with Microsoft and Google ...

Will Microsoft apply ‘Vista-Capable’ lessons to Win 7 netbooks?
All about Microsoft — November 17th, 2008 Will Microsoft apply ‘Vista-Capable’ lessons to Win 7 netbooks? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:37 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Windows XP , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , OEM , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Passcode , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley As the e-mail trail in the “Vista-capable” ...

What does ‘SharePoint in the cloud’ really mean?
All about Microsoft — November 17th, 2008 What does ‘SharePoint in the cloud’ really mean? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:26 am Categories: Office Live , Corporate strategy , Office , SharePoint Server , Channel , Systems integrators , Resellers , Network service providers , Web conferencing , Azure Tags: Microsoft SharePoint , Microsoft Corp. , Collaboration , Groupware , Enterprise Software , Software , Mary Jo Foley , Service , Company Official ...

With Yang out at as Yahoo CEO; Steve Ballmer licks chops
Between the Lines — November 17th, 2008 With Yang out at as Yahoo CEO; Steve Ballmer licks chops Posted by Larry Dignan @ 6:18 pm Categories: General , Web Technology , Microsoft , Search Tags: Jerry Yang , Steve Ballmer , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , CEO , Corporate Governance , Business Operations , Corporate Law , Larry Dignan Jerry Yang is no longer CEO of Yahoo. After a short and stormy tenure as CEO Yang is back to being Chief Yahoo. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft and a search deal–if not ...

Yang out: Justice scrutiny paved the way
ZDNet Government — November 18th, 2008 Yang out: Justice scrutiny paved the way Posted by Richard Koman @ November 18, 2008 @ 8:54 AM Categories: Justice , Microsoft Tags: Jerry Yang , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Corporate Law , Portals , Investment , Recruitment & Selection , Business Operations , Internet , Finance [image] Some things are clear. If Jerry Yang had merely been doing a lousy job at running Yahoo, there would have been no “mutual” decision that he should step down as ...

The day Microsoft killed the “Vista” name - January 31, 2006
Hardware 2.0 — November 18th, 2008 The day Microsoft killed the “Vista” name - January 31, 2006 Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 9:54 am Categories: Microsoft , Industry , Legal , Graphics , Hardware , Intel Tags: Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes , WDDM Tech pundits the world over have their own ideas as to why Windows Vista got such a bad reputation. My personal ...

Microsoft and Novell at two: Was the patent pact worth it?
All about Microsoft — November 18th, 2008 Microsoft and Novell at two: Was the patent pact worth it? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:18 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Legal , Linux , Novell Tags: Novell Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley , Linux , Open Source , UNIX , Operating Systems , Software Two years ago this month , in November 2006, Microsoft inked its controversial cross-licensing pact with Novell. In exchange for Microsoft distributing to its customers certificates for Novell’s ...

Two more Microsoft Labs deliverables debut
All about Microsoft — November 18th, 2008 Two more Microsoft Labs deliverables debut Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:39 pm Categories: Office , Research , Web 2.0 Tags: Deliverable , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Office , Office Suites , Software , Mary Jo Foley , Microsoft Silverlight Two of Microsoft’s hybrid research-product labs made available test versions of new wares this week. Microsoft’s Live Labs — the unit that married Microsoft Researchers with MSN developers — quietly delivered a new spinoff to its Seadragon ...

Microsoft to deliver free anti-malware to Windows users
Hardware 2.0 — November 18th, 2008 Microsoft to deliver free anti-malware to Windows users Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 2:25 pm Categories: Security , Microsoft , Software Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Sales Strategy , Software , Sales , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes , Protection , Malware , Spyware, Adware & Malware News just in from Microsoft - the company is to offer no-cost anti-malware to Windows users and phase-out sales of Windows Live ...

Microsoft-hosted Online security-service for business users due in 2010
All about Microsoft — ... by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:35 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Office , SharePoint Server , Management tools , System Center , Exchange Server , Security , CRM Live/CRM Online , Channel , Systems integrators , Resellers , VOIP , Telecommunications , Speech , Network service providers , Web conferencing , Utility/cloud computing , Azure Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Blogging , Security , Internet , Mary Jo Foley , ...

It’s official: No IE 8 until 2009
All about Microsoft — ... , Microsoft Corp. After one more public test build early next year, Microsoft plans to release the final version of Internet Explorer 8 in calendar 2009. Microsoft officials shared the updated timetable via a November 19 post on the IE Blog. Until yesterday, Microsoft’s only official pronouncement of when the final IE 8 release was ...

How Apple gained the upper hand on Microsoft
Hardware 2.0 — November 20th, 2008 How Apple gained the upper hand on Microsoft Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 9:07 am Categories: Apple , Microsoft , Marketing Tags: Microsoft Windows Vista , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , E-mail , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows , Software , Online Communications , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes I’ve just been working my way through hundreds of emails released as part of the Vista Capable lawsuit (if you want to read ...

Microsoft: Free anti-malware for all (Windows users)!
Hardware 2.0 — November 20th, 2008 Microsoft: Free anti-malware for all (Windows users)! Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 11:12 am Categories: Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Sales Strategy , Operating Systems , Software , Sales , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes , Malware , Cyberthreats , Spyware, Adware & Malware The other day Microsoft announced that it would phase-out sales of Windows Live OneCare subscriptions and roll out no-cost anti-malware during the second ...

Microsoft hires away key search VP from Yahoo
All about Microsoft — November 20th, 2008 Microsoft hires away key search VP from Yahoo Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:07 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Search , Yahoo Tags: Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Search , Mary Jo Foley , Portals , Internet The rumors were true : Microsoft has hired away from Yahoo Sean Suchter, Vice President of Yahoo’s Search Technology. Microsoft issued on November 20 the following statement, attributable to Satya Nadella, the Senior Vice President of Search, Portal and Advertising: “We are ...

Microsoft Big Brains: John Shewchuk
All about Microsoft — November 20th, 2008 Microsoft Big Brains: John Shewchuk Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:58 pm Categories: Development tools , .Net Framework , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Live Mesh , Microsoft Big Brains , Azure Tags: Team , Microsoft Corp. , Team Management , .Net , Application Servers , Middleware , Management , Software Development , Software/Web Development , Enterprise Software Just before retiring from day-to-day responsibilities at ...

Unsealed court filing: HP’s Hurd had Vista concerns
Between the Lines — November 20th, 2008 Unsealed court filing: HP’s Hurd had Vista concerns Posted by Sam Diaz @ 3:35 pm Categories: General , Legal , Apple , Microsoft , Hewlett-Packard , Windows 7 Tags: Hewlett-Packard Co. , Steve Ballmer , Mark Hurd , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Sam Diaz HP CEO Mark Hurd told Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer in an e-mail last year that HP’s ...

Still more questions than answers about Microsoft Morro
All about Microsoft — November 21st, 2008 Still more questions than answers about Microsoft Morro Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:47 am Categories: Windows client , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Security , Channel , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows Live , Microsoft Corp. , OneCare , Q , Windows Defender , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft’s announcement this week of plans for a new, free antimalware service — and the end of life of its ...

Would you ‘Kumo’ it?
All about Microsoft — November 23rd, 2008 Would you ‘Kumo’ it? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 4:54 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Code names , Search , Yahoo Tags: Microsoft Live Search , Microsoft Corp. , LiveSide.Net Folk , Mergers & Acquisitions , Workforce Management , Corporate Law , Search , Investment , Finance , Human Resources A few months back, I noted Microsoft had been exploring some new possibilities for rebranding its search engine — among them, Kumo. ...

Vista-related e-mails I’d like to read (but probably won’t)
All about Microsoft — November 24th, 2008 Vista-related e-mails I’d like to read (but probably won’t) Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:46 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , App Compatibility , Apple , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Advertising , Service Pack Tags: PC , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , E-mail , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows , Software , Mary ...

Microsoft, Amazon take different paths to cloud caching
All about Microsoft — November 24th, 2008 Microsoft, Amazon take different paths to cloud caching Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:14 am Categories: Corporate strategy , .Net Framework , Code names , Channel , Utility/cloud computing , PDC 2008 , Azure Tags: Content Delivery , Velocity , Content Delivery Network , Amazon.com Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , CloudFront , Mary Jo Foley Amazon and Microsoft, two of the leaders in the evolving cloud-services space, are offering customers a number of wares ...

Microsoft ‘Red Dog’: A pink poodle in disguise?
All about Microsoft — November 24th, 2008 Microsoft ‘Red Dog’: A pink poodle in disguise? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:13 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Code names , Utility/cloud computing , Azure Tags: Wired Inc. , Ray Ozzie , Microsoft Corp. , Wired Magazine , E-mail Providers , Operating Systems , Internet , Software , Mary Jo Foley Wired Magazine’s December cover story on Microsoft Chief Sofware Architect Ray Ozzie is now online. I thought it captured well Ozzie’s challenges in ...

Talking about Microsoft inside Microsoft
All about Microsoft — November 25th, 2008 Talking about Microsoft inside Microsoft Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:02 am Categories: Housekeeping , Corporate strategy , Apple , Channel , Google , Advertising , Yahoo Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Podcasts , Blogging , Internet , Mary Jo Foley When I published back in May my book about Microsoft’s future — Microsoft 2.0 — I had no idea that one day I’d be talking about it inside the hallowed halls of Microsoft with real, live Microsoft employees. That didn’t ...

Move over, Ajax. Here comes Microsoft’s ‘Kojax’
All about Microsoft — November 25th, 2008 Move over, Ajax. Here comes Microsoft’s ‘Kojax’ Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:13 am Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Development tools , Windows Mobile , Web 2.0 , Code names , Apple , Advertising Tags: Mobile , Microsoft Corp. , Applet , Kojax , Advertising & Promotion , AJAX , Marketing , Internet , Software/Web Development , Web Development Let me start out by saying I don’t know ...

Icahn: ‘I like Jerry’; Yahoo needs Microsoft search deal
Between the Lines — November 29th, 2008 Icahn: ‘I like Jerry’; Yahoo needs Microsoft search deal Posted by Larry Dignan @ 6:58 am Categories: General , Web Technology , Google , Microsoft , Search , Yahoo Tags: Board , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Corporate Governance , Business Operations , Corporate Law , Larry Dignan Carl Icahn says he likes Jerry Yang and notes the former Yahoo CEO is a “charismatic guy,” but Yahoo needs to do a Microsoft search deal since the company can’t afford to fight ...

Microsoft puts more muscle behind its potential ‘Kumo’ search brand
All about Microsoft — December 1st, 2008 Microsoft puts more muscle behind its potential ‘Kumo’ search brand Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 5:13 am Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Search , Google , Yahoo Tags: Brand , Yahoo! Inc. , Domain , Microsoft Live Search , Microsoft Corp. , Kumo , Investment , Finance , Mary Jo Foley After a weekend of “it’s on-again/no it’s not” rumors regarding Microsoft doing some kind of search deal with Yahoo, it’s worth noting the ...

Apple, Mozilla gain ground on Microsoft for Web traffic
Between the Lines — December 1st, 2008 Apple, Mozilla gain ground on Microsoft for Web traffic Posted by Sam Diaz @ 12:56 pm Categories: General , Web Technology , Apple , Microsoft Tags: Web , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browser , Mozilla Corp. , NetApplications , Web Browsers , Internet , Sam Diaz When it comes to surfing the Web, a growing number of people used Macs, instead of a Windows computer, as well as browsers other than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer in the month of November. ...

Microsoft advances its Win Live Wave 3, Gen4 datacenter rollouts
All about Microsoft — December 2nd, 2008 Microsoft advances its Win Live Wave 3, Gen4 datacenter rollouts Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:45 am Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Utility/cloud computing , Azure Tags: Data Center , Microsoft Windows Live , Server , Microsoft Corp. , Data Centers , Microsoft Windows , Storage , Hardware , Data Management , Operating Systems Microsoft has begun rolling out the Windows Live Wave 3 services it announced last month. As company officials ...

Microsoft disparages open-source TCO with year-old case study
All about Microsoft — December 3rd, 2008 Microsoft disparages open-source TCO with year-old case study Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:31 am Categories: Windows client , Windows server , Legal , Office , Linux Tags: Software , TCO , Microsoft Corp. , Speedy Hire Case Study , Roi/Tco , Open Source , Tools & Techniques , Finance , Managerial Accounting , Management There are lots of internal rivalries within Microsoft. One of the most constant is the battle between the ...

Microsoft to tweak ‘compatibility view’ with next IE 8 test build
All about Microsoft — December 4th, 2008 Microsoft to tweak ‘compatibility view’ with next IE 8 test build Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:42 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Internet Explorer Tags: Web , Opera Software , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Web Site , Web Browsers , Internet , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft is planning to make further tweaks to the “compatibility view” feature in Internet Explorer (IE) 8 when it releases the next public test build in early 2009 . Microsoft officials announced ...

Microsoft Big Brains: Dave Campbell
All about Microsoft — December 4th, 2008 Microsoft Big Brains: Dave Campbell Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:04 pm Categories: Database , SQL Server , Corporate strategy , Development tools , Utility/cloud computing , Microsoft Big Brains , Azure Tags: Team , Microsoft SQL Server , SQL , Microsoft Corp. , Team Management , Databases , Storage , Management , Enterprise Software , Software Just before retiring from day-to-day responsibilities at Microsoft, Chairman Bill ...

Former Yahoo exec to head Microsoft Online Services; Former aQuantive chief quits
All about Microsoft — December 4th, 2008 Former Yahoo exec to head Microsoft Online Services; Former aQuantive chief quits Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 2:57 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Search , Advertising , Yahoo Tags: Yahoo! Inc. , aQuantive Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Exec , Lu , Research & Development , Business Operations , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft’s search for a leader for its beleaguered Online Systems business is over and at least one of its top execs seemingly is none too happy ...

Microsoft hires former Yahoo exec to run online services
Between the Lines — December 4th, 2008 Microsoft hires former Yahoo exec to run online services Posted by Sam Diaz @ 3:02 pm Categories: General , Microsoft , Yahoo Tags: Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Web Technology , E-business/E-Commerce , Internet , Sam Diaz Microsoft has hired former Yahoo executive Qi Lu to run its online services business. Lu will start on January 5 and report directly to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, according to a CNET report . Qi Lu The company also announced that Brian McAndrews, the ...

Microsoft signs major deal with Dell for Live Search
All about Microsoft — December 5th, 2008 Microsoft signs major deal with Dell for Live Search Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:17 pm Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Channel , OEMs , Resellers , Search , Yahoo Tags: Google Inc. , Dell Computer Corp. , Microsoft Live Search , Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft and Dell have signed a deal via which Dell will be shipping new PCs with the Live Search toolbar preinstalled, according to sources familiar with the arrangement between the two ...

Office-for-Web: More waiting from Redmond
Between the Lines — December 5th, 2008 Office-for-Web: More waiting from Redmond Posted by Sam Diaz @ 1:25 pm Categories: General , Web Technology , Apple , Google , Microsoft , Cloud computing Tags: Google Inc. , Web , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Office , Channel Management , Office Suites , Software , Marketing , Sam Diaz It looks like it may take longer than expected for anyone to start trying out the Web versions of Microsoft Office. Wait. Here’s another way to say it: It looks ...

Ballmer: We’d like a Yahoo deal, but don’t need it
Between the Lines — December 5th, 2008 Ballmer: We’d like a Yahoo deal, but don’t need it Posted by Sam Diaz @ 4:32 pm Categories: Microsoft , Yahoo Tags: Steve Ballmer , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Sam Diaz In a Q&A with Wall Street Journal reporter Nick Wingfield, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer reiterated that a search deal makes sense for both Microsoft and Yahoo but was quick to add that Microsoft is fully prepared to go it alone. ( Techmeme ) Ballmer is practically throwing open the doors to a search deal. He says there are no ...

Survey: Google takes prize as IT dream job (with Microsoft, Cisco close behind)
Between the Lines — December 8th, 2008 Survey: Google takes prize as IT dream job (with Microsoft, Cisco close behind) Posted by Larry Dignan @ 3:00 am Categories: General , Google , Hewlett-Packard , IBM , Cisco Tags: Job , Google Inc. , Information Technology , Job Satisfaction , Microsoft Corp. , Survey , Cisco Systems Inc. , Recruitment & Selection , Marketing Research , Human Resources A third of you view a stint at Google as the Holy Grail, you’re more likely ...

Microsoft develops open-source content-management system
All about Microsoft — December 8th, 2008 Microsoft develops open-source content-management system Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:33 pm Categories: Database , SQL Server , Development tools , SharePoint Server , Code names , Search Tags: Web , Microsoft ASP.NET , Positioning , Microsoft Corp. , Oxite , Channel Management , Branding , RSS , Web Site Development , .Net Microsoft has developed and released via its CodePlex site an alpha version of a new open-source ...

Does the Windows 7 team have too much Apple envy? Readers weigh in
All about Microsoft — December 8th, 2008 Does the Windows 7 team have too much Apple envy? Readers weigh in Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 3:08 pm Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Apple , Windows 7 Tags: Team , Apple Macintosh , Microsoft Windows 7 , Operating System , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Desktops , Software My recent “plea” to the Windows team to resist the temptation of making Windows 7 more Mac-like ...

Office 14: The (near) silence is deafening
All about Microsoft — December 9th, 2008 Office 14: The (near) silence is deafening Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:40 am Categories: Office Live , Corporate strategy , Office , SharePoint Server , Search , Office 14 Tags: Microsoft SharePoint , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Office , Office Suites , Software , Mary Jo Foley While Microsoft has begun to eek out details about the next version of its Windows cash cow, company officials have maintained almost total silence about the next version of its other big ...

MSFT says it will reduce data retention if Google will
ZDNet Government — December 9th, 2008 MSFT says it will reduce data retention if Google will Posted by Richard Koman @ December 9, 2008 @ 4:58 PM Categories: International , Microsoft Tags: Google Inc. , Data Retention , Microsoft Corp. , MSFT , Richard Koman Microsoft offered to dramatically scale back its data retention policies — if Google and Yahoo do the same, PCWorld reports. Microsoft proposed to adopt European guidelines that search query data not be kept longer than six months. John Vassallo, vice president of E.U. affairs ...

Windows 7-Windows Mobile integration: What’s coming when?
All about Microsoft — December 10th, 2008 Windows 7-Windows Mobile integration: What’s coming when? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:30 am Categories: Windows client , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Windows Mobile , Apple , Channel , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 , Network service providers Tags: Microsoft Windows Mobile , Microsoft Windows 7 , Mobile , Mobius , Microsoft Corp. , Integration , Microsoft Windows , Advertising & Promotion , ...

Yahoo shareholder pushes for Microsoft search deal
Between the Lines — December 10th, 2008 Yahoo shareholder pushes for Microsoft search deal Posted by Larry Dignan @ 6:44 am Categories: General , Microsoft , Search , Yahoo Tags: Shareholder , Yahoo! Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Ivory Investment Management , Financial Accounting , Corporate Governance , Finance , Business Operations , Corporate Law , Larry Dignan Ivory Investment Management, a hedge fund that owns about 1.5 percent of Yahoo, will push the company to do a search deal with ...

Microsoft hires digital-identity/open-source maven Dick Hardt
All about Microsoft — December 10th, 2008 Microsoft hires digital-identity/open-source maven Dick Hardt Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:40 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Security , Open source Tags: Hiring , Programming Language , Microsoft Corp. , Identity Management , Hardt , Recruitment & Selection , Authentication/Encryption , Programming Languages , Open Source , Human Resources Microsoft’s hiring slowdown hasn’t translated to a complete hiring freeze. Among the newest ...

Webcast: What’s on Microsoft’s plate for 2009?
All about Microsoft — December 10th, 2008 Webcast: What’s on Microsoft’s plate for 2009? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:46 pm Categories: Housekeeping , Windows client , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Office , Windows Mobile , Google , Yahoo , Robotics , Utility/cloud computing , Azure Tags: Webcast , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley If Microsoft delivers even half of what us company watchers are predicting in ...

Microsoft releases to select testers updated IE 8 build
All about Microsoft — December 10th, 2008 Microsoft releases to select testers updated IE 8 build Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 5:38 pm Categories: Internet Explorer , App Compatibility Tags: Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Tester , Web Browsers , Internet , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft released to a group of select testers on December 10 a new test build of Internet Explorer (IE) 8. The new build is for “technical beta” participants only and is not available to the public. According to the note sent to testers:“We are releasing ...

The 10 best IT certifications
Between the Lines — December 11th, 2008 The 10 best IT certifications Posted by Larry Dignan @ 2:11 am Categories: General , IT Management , Software Infrastructure , Hardware Infrastructure Tags: Project Management , Security , Expertise , Certification , Skill , Exam , Information Technology , Microsoft Corp. , MCITP , Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist Certification Guest post from TechRepublic’s 10 Things blog : IT pros tend to have strong opinions when debating the ...

Attention Microsoft Digital Locker users
All about Microsoft — December 11th, 2008 Attention Microsoft Digital Locker users Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:47 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Channel Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Tools & Techniques , Operating Systems , Software , Management , Mary Jo Foley If you have purchased software from the precursor to the newly launched Microsoft Online store — a k a Windows Marketplace — you need to move any software stored in your Digital Locker out of it before August of next year. ...

Microsoft: The top 5 risks; Will it cut 2009 outlook as PC market stumbles?
Between the Lines — December 11th, 2008 Microsoft: The top 5 risks; Will it cut 2009 outlook as PC market stumbles? Posted by Larry Dignan @ 8:42 am Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Hardware Infrastructure , Web Technology , Microsoft , Economy Tags: Revenue , PC , Microsoft Corp. , Jeffrey Lindsay , Brent Williams , Software As A Service (SaaS) , Operational Accounting , Desktops , Emerging Technologies , Finance The worries about Microsoft’s fiscal second ...

Microsoft walks the downturn-messaging tightrope
All about Microsoft — December 11th, 2008 Microsoft walks the downturn-messaging tightrope Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:18 pm Categories: Windows server , Corporate strategy , Development tools , Office , Management tools , Security , Channel , Virtualization , Utility/cloud computing , Azure Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Productivity , Servers , Enterprise Software , Hardware , Software , Mary Jo Foley Is Microsoft poised to join other tech vendors in announcing dismal ...

Handicapping cloud computing: The big picture
Between the Lines — December 12th, 2008 Handicapping cloud computing: The big picture Posted by Larry Dignan @ 4:17 am Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Web Technology , Google , Microsoft , IBM , Sun , Amazon , Cloud computing Tags: Revenue , Google Inc. , Google Apps , Web Service , Amazon.com Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Jeffrey Lindsay , Cloud Computing , Larry Dignan Cloud computing isn’t going to dominate the tech landscape, but will raise a ...

Microsoft datacenter architect defects to Amazon
All about Microsoft — December 12th, 2008 Microsoft datacenter architect defects to Amazon Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:42 pm Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Research , Utility/cloud computing , Azure Tags: Team , Data Center , Amazon.com Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Hamilton , Data Management , Data Centers , Team Management , Storage , Databases James Hamilton, an architect on Microsoft’s Data Center Futures team, has decided to leave Microsoft for Amazon.com, as ...

Microsoft releases first iPhone app: Seadragon
The Apple Core — December 15th, 2008 Microsoft releases first iPhone app: Seadragon Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 8:36 am Categories: Software , Microsoft , iPhone , App Store Tags: Apple iPhone , Microsoft Corp. , Jason D. O'Grady That sound you heard over the weekend was hell freezing over. On Saturday Microsoft’s Live Labs released an application of the iPhone called Seadragon ( iTunes , free) that allows you to view (and zoom in on) Gigapixel images. Seadragon Mobile brings the same smooth image browsing you get on the PC ...

Microsoft inches ahead with new Live services build, new search brand
All about Microsoft — December 16th, 2008 Microsoft inches ahead with new Live services build, new search brand Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:14 am Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Search , Advertising Tags: Brand , Microsoft Live Search , Microsoft Windows Live , Microsoft Corp. , Live Essentials , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Microsoft Office , Software , Office Suites Microsoft has delivered a refreshed beta build of its Windows Live Essentials services and has ...

Microsoft’s datacenter software and services future: Trebuchet and Monsoon
All about Microsoft — December 16th, 2008 Microsoft’s datacenter software and services future: Trebuchet and Monsoon Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:14 am Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Code names , Utility/cloud computing , Azure Tags: Software , Data Center , Network , Server , Microsoft Corp. , Monsoon , Trebuchet , Data Centers , Storage , Hardware Microsoft officials recently peeled back the covers a bit on its datacenter futures by sharing some high-level strategy ...

Microsoft scrambles on IE zero-day; Can move when it wants to
Between the Lines — December 16th, 2008 Microsoft scrambles on IE zero-day; Can move when it wants to Posted by Larry Dignan @ 11:45 am Categories: General , Security , Web Technology , Microsoft Tags: Malware , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browser , Attack , Ryan Naraine , Web Browsers , Patches , Spyware, Adware & Malware , Security Microsoft is planning an out-of-band patch for Internet Explorer browser Wednesday as malware attacks escalate. ...

Microsoft sends out Windows 7 Beta 1 invites
All about Microsoft — December 16th, 2008 Microsoft sends out Windows 7 Beta 1 invites Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:32 pm Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft sent to a select group of testers on December 16 invitations to participate in Windows 7 Beta 1. Individuals who received the invites are considered “tech beta testers.” From the note Microsoft sent to the ...

Yahoo to anonymize data in three months, putting Microsoft’s 18-month policy to shame
ZDNet Government — December 17th, 2008 Yahoo to anonymize data in three months, putting Microsoft’s 18-month policy to shame Posted by Richard Koman @ December 17, 2008 @ 6:51 AM Categories: Privacy , Microsoft , Google Tags: Google Inc. , Advertisement , Yahoo! Inc. , Policy , Microsoft Corp. , Richard Koman Yahoo will anonymize user data after only three months, the company announced today. That’s three times faster than Google’s nine-month retention policy. Microsoft remains old school with an 18-month policy, ...

Will the Microsoft Live Search turmoil ever end?
All about Microsoft — December 17th, 2008 Will the Microsoft Live Search turmoil ever end? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:10 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Search , Advertising Tags: Microsoft Live Search , Microsoft Corp. , Engineering , Search , Team Management , Management , Mary Jo Foley It was just over a year ago that Microsoft’s search team was wrestling with back-to-back executive departures . Now it’s the end of 2008 and here we are again in the midst of more Live Search shake-ups. In just the past the ...

Microsoft releases patch for IE vulnerability
Hardware 2.0 — December 17th, 2008 Microsoft releases patch for IE vulnerability Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 10:49 am Categories: Security , Microsoft , Software Tags: Vulnerability , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browsers , Internet , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes Just a friendly FYI for all you Internet Explorer users out there. Microsoft has issued an out-of-cycle patch for the Internet Explorer vulnerability that came to light . That means it’s time to run Windows Update! Here’s the summary ...

Microsoft Big Brains: Anders Hejlsberg
All about Microsoft — December 17th, 2008 Microsoft Big Brains: Anders Hejlsberg Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:08 am Categories: Development tools , .Net Framework , PDC 2008 , Oslo , Visual Studio 10 ("Hawaii") , Microsoft Big Brains Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Programming , C# , .Net , Programming Languages , Software Development , Software/Web Development , Mary Jo Foley Just before retiring from day-to-day responsibilities at Microsoft, Chairman Bill Gates said that he expected ...

Critical IE 7 fix is now available
All about Microsoft — December 17th, 2008 Critical IE 7 fix is now available Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:29 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Security , Internet Explorer Tags: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , MS08-078 , Web Browsers , Security Administration , Patches , Security , Internet , Mary Jo Foley If you’re running Internet Explorer (IE) 7, you can go get the critical patch Microsoft released on December 17 to thwart a serious security ...

Some testers expecting an early Windows 7 Beta 1 present
All about Microsoft — December 18th, 2008 Some testers expecting an early Windows 7 Beta 1 present Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:24 am Categories: Windows client , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 , CES 2009 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , Tester , Beta Tester , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley There’s talk that Microsoft has signed off internally on the Beta 1 Windows 7 bits. Word is the build number ...

Could Seadragon, Zune VideoX be among ‘premium’ Win Mobile services?
All about Microsoft — December 19th, 2008 Could Seadragon, Zune VideoX be among ‘premium’ Win Mobile services? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:32 am Categories: Windows Live , Windows Mobile , Zune , Xbox , Silverlight (wpf/e) , Xbox Live , Apple , CES 2009 Tags: Apple iPhone , Mobile , Microsoft Zune , Microsoft Corp. , Advertising & Promotion , Marketing , Mary Jo Foley As the Consumer Electronics Show looms, many Microsoft watchers’ eyes are turned to the Zune and the ...

Microsoft puts finishing touches on updated unified-communications platform
All about Microsoft — December 19th, 2008 Microsoft puts finishing touches on updated unified-communications platform Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:21 am Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Windows Mobile , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , VOIP , Telecommunications , Speech , Network service providers , Web conferencing Tags: Unified Communications , Microsoft Corp. , Release 2 , OCS Release 2 , Enterprise CAL , OCS Mobile , ...

YouTube overtakes Yahoo, Microsoft in U.S. search
Between the Lines — December 19th, 2008 YouTube overtakes Yahoo, Microsoft in U.S. search Posted by Sam Diaz @ 2:59 pm Categories: General , Google , Microsoft , Search , Yahoo , YouTube Tags: Google Inc. , Yahoo! Inc. , YouTube Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Search , Sam Diaz It’s not just Google that’s beating Yahoo, Microsoft and all of the other Web search engines out there. Now, Google-owned YouTube is seeing more queries that the others, increasing Google’s overall lead in search. According to a ...

Microsoft to allow custom PC makers to stock XP through mid-2009
All about Microsoft — December 21st, 2008 Microsoft to allow custom PC makers to stock XP through mid-2009 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:07 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows XP , Windows 7 Tags: PC , Stock , Microsoft Corp. , System Builder , Microsoft Windows XP , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley In yet another reprieve for Windows XP, Microsoft is allowing system builders to continue to obtain copies of Windows XP to preload ...

Google, Microsoft, Yahoo as Ford, GM and Chrysler
Between the Lines — December 22nd, 2008 Google, Microsoft, Yahoo as Ford, GM and Chrysler Posted by Larry Dignan @ 2:50 am Categories: General , Web Technology , Google , Microsoft , Yahoo , Innovation Tags: Google Inc. , America Online Inc. , Yahoo! Inc. , Chrysler LLC , Microsoft Corp. , General Motors Corp. , Ford Motor Co. , Jeffrey Lindsay , Internet , Portals Could Google, Microsoft and Yahoo be the equivalent of Ford, GM and Chrysler more than 60 years ago? That ...

December ‘All About Microsoft’ codename tracker now available for download
All about Microsoft — December 22nd, 2008 December ‘All About Microsoft’ codename tracker now available for download Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:37 am Categories: Housekeeping , Code names Tags: Microsoft Corp. , E-mail , Productivity , Online Communications , Mary Jo Foley I’ve mentioned before that I keep a running list of Microsoft codenames; it’s one of my favorite home-grown reference tools. That list is now available to you in the form of a handy PDF. The “All About Microsoft” CodeTracker is a chart I’ll be updating every month. If you’re a ...

Latest search numbers not good for Microsoft
All about Microsoft — December 22nd, 2008 Latest search numbers not good for Microsoft Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:37 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Search , Google , Yahoo Tags: Yahoo! Inc. , ComScore Networks Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Search , Mary Jo Foley ComScore published its November search-query share numbers on December 19. The news wasn’t good for Live Search. ComScore’s data is for the U.S. market. Of the 12.3 billion core searches done in November, Google sites had 63.5 percent share (up 0.4 percent from ...

System builders get XP extension
Hardware 2.0 — December 23rd, 2008 System builders get XP extension Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 3:59 am Categories: Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Corp. , System Builder , Microsoft Windows XP , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes PC system builders get an XP extension from Microsoft and can continue to buy the OS until May 30 2009. Microsoft had hoped to pull the plug on XP for system builders on January 31 2009, so this latest extension gives system builders an extra four months to stock up ...

What will — and won’t — Microsoft do in 2009?
All about Microsoft — ... — and won’t — Microsoft do in 2009? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:36 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Legal , Zune , Apple , Windows 7 , Search , Google , Yahoo , Office 14 , Utility/cloud computing , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") , Visual Studio 10 ("Hawaii") , Azure , CES 2009 , Mobile services ("Pink"/"Rouge") Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , RTM , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , ...

Microsoft and pay-as-you-go: Been there, done that
All about Microsoft — December 30th, 2008 Microsoft and pay-as-you-go: Been there, done that Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:35 pm Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Office , Anti-piracy , WGA , OGA , Activation , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 , Google , Office 14 Tags: Microsoft Corp. , FlexGo , Microsoft Office , Office Suites , Software , Mary Jo Foley Much is being made of ...

Zune problems? All should be fine by Midnight
Between the Lines — December 31st, 2008 Zune problems? All should be fine by Midnight Posted by Sam Diaz @ 3:47 pm Categories: General , Entertainment , Apple , Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Zune , Microsoft Corp. , Media Players , Patches , Digital Music , Digital Media , Consumer Electronics , Personal Technology , Sam Diaz Owners of Microsoft’s 30GB Zune player will be counting down to midnight tonight - not to ring in a new year but to see if their Zunes will miraculously start working again. ...

It takes a lot to dismantle an Empire
All about Microsoft — January 5th, 2009 It takes a lot to dismantle an Empire Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 2:18 pm Categories: Corporate strategy Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Workforce Management , Human Resources , Mary Jo Foley Despite lots of wishful thinking by Microsoft haters, Microsoft won’t be destroyed in a day. When I read analysts, customers, bloggers, partners and others prematurely dancing on Microsoft’s grave because of a loss of a half percent of market share here or a customer loss there, I want to remind them that there is a long legacy  — and lots of ...

Microsoft reorg season begins: Muglia gets the presidential nod
All about Microsoft — January 5th, 2009 Microsoft reorg season begins: Muglia gets the presidential nod Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:36 pm Categories: Windows server , Corporate strategy Tags: President , Microsoft Corp. , Bob Muglia , Productivity , Servers , Hardware , Mary Jo Foley A year ago, I wondered when and whether Microsoft would make Bob Muglia, head of the company’s Server and Tools business, one of the company’s presidents . On January 5, 2009, that happened. Muglia is now President of Server and Tools (not of ...

Another Microsoft watcher joins Microsoft
All about Microsoft — January 6th, 2009 Another Microsoft watcher joins Microsoft Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:16 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Office , SharePoint Server Tags: Team , Information Technology , Microsoft Corp. , Team Management , Collaboration , Groupware , Management , Enterprise Software , Software , Mary Jo Foley IT market watcher Peter O’Kelly has joined a number of other former industry analysts who’ve taken the Red Pill and joined Microsoft over the past few years. O’Kelly ...

Report: PC makers to provide free Vista-to Win-7 upgrades starting July 1
All about Microsoft — January 6th, 2009 Report: PC makers to provide free Vista-to Win-7 upgrades starting July 1 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:05 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley In yet another indicator as to the ...

Cloud Computing: Apple vs. Microsoft
The Apple Core — January 6th, 2009 Cloud Computing: Apple vs. Microsoft Posted by David Morgenstern @ 12:13 pm Categories: Macworld Expo , iWork , Microsoft , Office , Mac BU Tags: Microsoft Office Live Workspace , Apple Macintosh , Cloud Computing , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Document Collaboration Companion , Microsoft Office , Desktops , Office Suites , Software Cloud Computing: Apple vs. Microsoft Both Apple and Microsoft rolled out the beginnings of a cloud ...

Another former Softie joins VMware
All about Microsoft — January 6th, 2009 Another former Softie joins VMware Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 2:39 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Virtualization Tags: VMware Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Maritz , Nielsen , Corporate Law , Productivity , Development Tools , Middleware , Business Operations , Software Development A year ago when I wrote that former Microsoft manager — and current VMware CEO –  Paul Maritz was getting the old band back together , I had no idea how many members would end up ...

Microsoft preps to push IE 8; makes blocking tool available
All about Microsoft — January 7th, 2009 Microsoft preps to push IE 8; makes blocking tool available Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:28 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Internet Explorer , CES 2009 Tags: Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Tool , Web Browsers , Internet , Mary Jo Foley As it has done with previous Internet Explorer (IE) releases, Microsoft has made available an IE 8 blocking toolkit to allow users to keep Microsoft’s browser from being downloaded automatically on their Windows ...

January 7: Join our Ballmer CES live-blog keynote coverage
All about Microsoft — January 7th, 2009 January 7: Join our Ballmer CES live-blog keynote coverage Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:04 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Windows Mobile , Zune , Apple , Windows 7 , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") , CES 2009 Tags: Consumer Electronics Show , Microsoft Windows 7 , Steve Ballmer , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Sales Strategy , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , ...

Verizon picks MSFT search, gets ready for Kindle killers
Between the Lines — January 7th, 2009 Verizon picks MSFT search, gets ready for Kindle killers Posted by Sam Diaz @ 12:34 pm Categories: General , Mobile , Google , Microsoft , Yahoo , Research In Motion , CES , RIM , Amazon Tags: Mobile , Verizon Communications Inc. , Mobile Search , RIM BlackBerry , Microsoft Corp. , MSFT , Advertising & Promotion , Search , Marketing , Sam Diaz Between the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and ...

MSDN and TechNet users: Get ready for your Win 7 Beta 1 bits
All about Microsoft — January 7th, 2009 MSDN and TechNet users: Get ready for your Win 7 Beta 1 bits Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 2:59 pm Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 , CES 2009 Tags: Microsoft Developer Network , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , Microsoft TechNet , 64-Bit , Blogging , Microsoft Windows , Network Technology , Processors , Semiconductors Straight from the (French) Microsoft blogger’s mouth: “C’est cette nuit.” Tonight’s the night . Expect Microsoft ...

Microsoft at CES: Zune Mobile, no; Win 7 Beta 1, yes
All about Microsoft — ... Zune Mobile, no; Win 7 Beta 1, yes Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:42 pm Categories: Windows client , Windows server , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Research , Windows Mobile , Zune , Xbox , Windows 7 , Search , Facebook , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") , CES 2009 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Mobile , Steve Ballmer , Microsoft Zune , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , ...

Former Microsoft search leader resurfaces at eBay
All about Microsoft — January 8th, 2009 Former Microsoft search leader resurfaces at eBay Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:36 am Categories: Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Search Tags: Leader , Microsoft Live Search , Microsoft Corp. , eBay Inc. , Microsoft Payne , Data Mining , Business Intelligence , Databases , Enterprise Software , Software Two years ago, when Microsoft’s search and advertising unit was even more of a revolving door than now , two long-time managers, Christopher Pane ...

Reasons to skip Microsoft’s Windows 7 Beta download
Between the Lines — January 8th, 2009 Reasons to skip Microsoft’s Windows 7 Beta download Posted by Sam Diaz @ 11:08 am Categories: General , Apple , Microsoft , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Software , Sam Diaz As many of you know, I’m a hardcore Mac guy - but I wasn’t always this way. My experiences with Windows Vista sent me over the edge, prompting me to add ...

Poll: Is Windows 7’s ship date immaterial to you?
All about Microsoft — January 8th, 2009 Poll: Is Windows 7’s ship date immaterial to you? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:27 pm Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 , Office 14 , CES 2009 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Business User , Mike Nash , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Software , ...

Microsoft to wait until February for Win Mobile show-and-tell
All about Microsoft — January 9th, 2009 Microsoft to wait until February for Win Mobile show-and-tell Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:30 am Categories: Windows Mobile , Apple , CES 2009 , Mobile services ("Pink"/"Rouge") Tags: Microsoft Windows Mobile , Mobile , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Advertising & Promotion , Operating Systems , Handhelds , Software , Marketing , Hardware The New York Times got Microsoft to admit what many of us have been guessing for the ...

How to get the Win 7 public Beta bits
All about Microsoft — January 9th, 2009 How to get the Win 7 public Beta bits Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:08 am Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 Tags: Public Beta , Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Bit , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley Based on all the queries I’m getting this morning, Microsoft might not have a problem getting the up-to 2.5 million public testers for the Windows 7 Beta release they are allowing. But the testers migh find themselves ...

Windows 7 - What we still don’t know …
Hardware 2.0 — January 9th, 2009 Windows 7 - What we still don’t know … Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 9:36 am Categories: Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes With today’s release of the public beta of Windows 7, there are still plenty of unanswered questions related to Microsoft’s new OS. Let’s examine some of them here. Windows 7 editions The beta build that ...

The end of Zune? It’s not just the music anymore
Between the Lines — January 9th, 2009 The end of Zune? It’s not just the music anymore Posted by Sam Diaz @ 10:49 am Categories: General , Mobile , Entertainment , Apple , Google , Microsoft , iPhone , Palm , Research In Motion , RIM , DRM , Digital Media Tags: Apple iPod , Microsoft Zune , Music Player , Microsoft Corp. , Music , Digital Music , Digital Media , Media Players , Personal Technology , Consumer Electronics Is ...

So where are those Windows 7 Beta bits?
All about Microsoft — January 9th, 2009 So where are those Windows 7 Beta bits? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 2:11 pm Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 Tags: Public Beta , Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley For many, it was a day of clicking and realoading Microsoft’s Windows page to no avail. Two hours ago, around 3:00 p.m. ET, Microsoft officials said they were adding more servers to make sure users would have a ...

Microsoft reboots borked Windows 7 Beta
All about Microsoft — January 10th, 2009 Microsoft reboots borked Windows 7 Beta Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:59 am Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 Tags: Public Beta , Microsoft Windows 7 , Product Key , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley The primary public Beta link for Windows 7 is now live, a day after Microsoft said it would make the bits available. The Windows 7 public beta can be downloaded from the Windows ...

Microsoft launches new phase of its ‘People-Ready’ ad campaign
All about Microsoft — January 12th, 2009 Microsoft launches new phase of its ‘People-Ready’ ad campaign Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:29 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Advertising Tags: Advertisement , Campaign , Microsoft Corp. , People-Ready , Mary Jo Foley If you think the Jerry Seinfeld-Bill Gates spots were Microsoft’s biggest ad blooper, you might have forgotten about the $500 million “People-Ready” campaign the company launched in 2006. On January 12, Microsoft launched a new phase of that People-Ready print/TV/online campaign , ...

Maybe we’ll see Win 7 and Office 14 launch together, after all
All about Microsoft — January 12th, 2009 Maybe we’ll see Win 7 and Office 14 launch together, after all Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:45 am Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Office , App Compatibility , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 , Office 14 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , O14 , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Office , Operating Systems , Software , Office Suites , Mary Jo Foley It’s hard to know ...

Touch-enabled PCs and browsers: Do not want
All about Microsoft — January 12th, 2009 Touch-enabled PCs and browsers: Do not want Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:56 am Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Internet Explorer , Apple , Windows 7 , Surface Tags: Touch Screen , PC , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browser , Keyboards , Desktops , Monitors & Displays , Hardware , Peripherals If you have any doubts that Microsoft is going to keep pushing touch down users’ throats, ...

Yes or no: Is Microsoft going to keep making Zunes?
All about Microsoft — January 12th, 2009 Yes or no: Is Microsoft going to keep making Zunes? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:03 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Zune , Apple , CES 2009 Tags: Microsoft Zune , Microsoft Corp. , Mary Jo Foley Comments by Microsoft execs last week during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) made murky Microsoft’s future plans for the Zune . And follow-up over the weekend on the Zune Insider blog didn’t clarify matters any. Users want to know whether Microsoft plans to stay in the Zune hardware business. Will ...

Windows 7 on older hardware: A Catch 22 for Microsoft
All about Microsoft — January 14th, 2009 Windows 7 on older hardware: A Catch 22 for Microsoft Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:53 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , App Compatibility , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , PC , Microsoft Corp. , Hardware , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley There are a few bloggers wondering aloud about how well Windows 7 ultimately ...

Do dismal fourth-quarter PC sales mean Microsoft layoffs more likely?
All about Microsoft — January 15th, 2009 Do dismal fourth-quarter PC sales mean Microsoft layoffs more likely? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:41 am Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Apple , Channel , System builders , OEMs , Resellers Tags: Layoff , PC , Microsoft Corp. , Workforce Management , Sales Strategy , Human Resources , Sales , Mary Jo Foley The Wall Street Journal is reporting that holiday PC sales were dismal and Microsoft is “exploring” ...

Microsoft honing its ‘better together’ story for Windows 7 and Office 14
All about Microsoft — January 15th, 2009 Microsoft honing its ‘better together’ story for Windows 7 and Office 14 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:58 am Categories: Windows client , Windows server , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Office , SharePoint Server , Windows 7 , Office 14 , Windows Server 2008 R2 /("Windows 7 Server") Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Office , Microsoft Windows Live , Microsoft Corp. , O14 , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software ...

Want to run legacy Windows apps on Vista? Try the MED-V beta
All about Microsoft — January 15th, 2009 Want to run legacy Windows apps on Vista? Try the MED-V beta Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:56 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows XP , App Compatibility , Virtualization , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , MED-V , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley If you’ve got some legacy third-party and/or custom ...

How Microsoft blew the keyword business; And how you still can’t count Redmond out
Between the Lines — January 16th, 2009 How Microsoft blew the keyword business; And how you still can’t count Redmond out Posted by Larry Dignan @ 3:21 am Categories: General , Web Technology , Google , Microsoft , Search , Yahoo Tags: Google Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Overture Services Inc. , Cannibalization Worry , Search , Channel Management , Marketing , Larry Dignan Microsoft had its Google killer in 2000, but killed the project before it got rolling. Why? Worries about cannibalization. ...

Microsoft Big Brains: Chuck Thacker
All about Microsoft — January 16th, 2009 Microsoft Big Brains: Chuck Thacker Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:41 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Research , Xbox , Multicore/distributed computing , Microsoft Big Brains Tags: PC , Microsoft Corp. , Computer , Chuck Thacker , BEE3 , Productivity , Game Players , Desktops , Consumer Electronics , Personal Technology Just before retiring from day-to-day responsibilities at Microsoft, Chairman Bill Gates said that he expected ...

Microsoft moves Live Mesh under Windows chief Sinofsky
All about Microsoft — January 16th, 2009 Microsoft moves Live Mesh under Windows chief Sinofsky Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:47 am Categories: Windows client , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Live Mesh Tags: Microsoft Windows Live , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft still hasn’t gone public with rumored layoffs that many are expecting to happen in the next week or so . But it is doing what many expected: Rejiggering groups within various organizations as ...

Rotten reporting: Is it just Apple coverage that ‘bites’?
All about Microsoft — January 16th, 2009 Rotten reporting: Is it just Apple coverage that ‘bites’? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:49 am Categories: Housekeeping , Corporate strategy , Apple Tags: Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Exec , Public Relations , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Team Management , Marketing , Corporate Communications , Operating Systems , Microsoft Windows I’ve always considered the way those of us in the press get access to information and execs as somewhat of an “insider ...

Here we go again: European Commission complains about IE integration in Windows
All about Microsoft — January 16th, 2009 Here we go again: European Commission complains about IE integration in Windows Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:03 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Legal , Internet Explorer Tags: European Commission , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Integration , Microsoft Windows , Web Browsers , Corporate Law , Operating Systems , Software , Internet The European Commission had been awfully quiet for the past few months. But just half way into January, the ...

EU says IE violates antitrust
ZDNet Government — January 19th, 2009 EU says IE violates antitrust Posted by Richard Koman @ January 19, 2009 @ 9:33 AM Categories: International , Microsoft , Antitrust Tags: Antitrust , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browser , Web Browsers , Internet , Richard Koman [image] Microsoft unfairly boosts market share of Internet Explorer by tying it to Windows, the European Commission has found in a preliminary conclusion delivered to Microsoft last week. [image] The evidence gathered during ...

Microsoft: IE 8 Release Candidate won’t install on Windows 7
All about Microsoft — January 19th, 2009 Microsoft: IE 8 Release Candidate won’t install on Windows 7 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:18 pm Categories: Windows client , Corporate strategy , Internet Explorer , App Compatibility , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Release Candidate , Microsoft Corp. , Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate , Web Browsers , Internet , Mary Jo Foley Windows 7 testers won’t be able to install Microsoft’s ...

Microsoft tightens its belt, but still no layoffs announced
All about Microsoft — January 20th, 2009 Microsoft tightens its belt, but still no layoffs announced Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 5:46 am Categories: Corporate strategy Tags: Layoff , Microsoft Corp. , Wireless LANs , Wi-Fi , Wireless And Mobility , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft is not renewing leases on a number of its Seattle area properties and is postponing construction on several planned buildings to help trim costs, the Seattle Times is reporting. The Microsoft bean cutters also allegedly have looked at other services ( catering, ...

Opera CTO: Here’s how to level the browser playing field
All about Microsoft — January 20th, 2009 Opera CTO: Here’s how to level the browser playing field Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:57 am Categories: Legal , Internet Explorer , App Compatibility Tags: Web , Opera Software , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browser , Standards , Web Browsers , Internet , Mary Jo Foley On January 15, the European Commission (EC) issued its “statement of objections” — basically, its prelinimary findings regarding a 2007 antitrust complaint levied by Opera Software against Microsoft   and its ...

Microsoft dumps Comcast shares
All about Microsoft — January 20th, 2009 Microsoft dumps Comcast shares Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:17 pm Categories: Corporate strategy Tags: Comcast Corp. , Microsoft Corp. , TVs , Investment , Tv & Home Theater , Personal Technology , Home Entertainment , Finance , Mary Jo Foley In what could be viewed as more cost cutting (or maybe just a throwing in of the towel), Microsoft has divested itself of more — if not all — of its shares of Comcast. Microsoft acknowledged the Comcast stock ...

Microsoft improves Exchange sync in new Entourage Beta
The Apple Core — January 20th, 2009 Microsoft improves Exchange sync in new Entourage Beta Posted by David Morgenstern @ 4:41 pm Categories: Microsoft , Windows , Sync Tags: Apple Macintosh , Microsoft Exchange Server , Microsoft Corp. , Entourage , Desktops , Hardware , David Morgenstern Macs to gain smart card-based login to Active Directory Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Microsoft’s Mac Business Unit released a beta version of its Entourage for Exchange Web Services, which now lets Mac users sync ...

Microsoft on the other end of the EC antitrust stick?
All about Microsoft — January 21st, 2009 Microsoft on the other end of the EC antitrust stick? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:44 am Categories: Windows server , Corporate strategy , Legal , Internet Explorer , Open source Tags: Antitrust , Microsoft Corp. , IBM Corp. , Mainframes , Corporate Law , Servers , Hardware , Business Operations , Mary Jo Foley Financial Times blogger Richard Waters makes a convincing case for Microsoft being one of the unnamed forces behind a complaint filed with ...

Microsoft tweaks deployment tools for Windows 7
All about Microsoft — January 21st, 2009 Microsoft tweaks deployment tools for Windows 7 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:48 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Channel , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Tool , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft officials have said relatively little about the features and functionality the company is building into Windows 7 for business (as opposed to home) users. But a new blog post on the ...

Windows PC users face dwindling retail options
All about Microsoft — January 21st, 2009 Windows PC users face dwindling retail options Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:51 am Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Channel , OEMs , Systems integrators , Resellers , Windows 7 Tags: PC , Retail Company , Microsoft Corp. , Windows PC , Laptop Computer , Microsoft Windows , Desktops , Retail , Operating Systems , Software I’m not shedding a whole lot of tears for Circuit City — except for one ...

Another Microsoft Corporate VP leaves the nest
All about Microsoft — January 21st, 2009 Another Microsoft Corporate VP leaves the nest Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:40 am Categories: Corporate strategy Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Workforce Management , Vertical Industries , Government , Benefits , Healthcare , Marketing Research , Human Resources , Enterprise Software , Software I missed this: Gerri Elliott, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of its Worldwide Public Sector business, is out. Elliott, according to her bio on Microsoft’s Web site, which was updated ...

Wall Street waits for layoffs at Microsoft
Between the Lines — January 21st, 2009 Wall Street waits for layoffs at Microsoft Posted by Sam Diaz @ 12:37 pm Categories: General , Microsoft , Earnings , Economy Tags: Layoff , Analyst , Microsoft Corp. , Workforce Management , Recruitment & Selection , Human Resources , Sam Diaz Microsoft will likely miss its own earnings target and announce thousands of job cuts this week, according to a Reuters report . The company is scheduled to announce its quarterly results tomorrow. Microsoft is ...

Microsoft to cut 5,000 jobs
All about Microsoft — January 22nd, 2009 Microsoft to cut 5,000 jobs Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:13 am Categories: Corporate strategy Tags: Job , Microsoft Corp. , Recruitment & Selection , Human Resources , Workforce Management , Mary Jo Foley The official word is out: Microsoft is going to cut 5,000 jobs over the next 18 months, 1,400 of them today, January 22. From the company’s Q2 earnings release:“ Microsoft will eliminate up to 5,000 jobs in R&D, marketing, sales, finance, legal, HR, and IT over the next 18 months, ...

Microsoft: ‘We are not immune’ to economy; Cuts 5,000 jobs; Earnings fall short
Between the Lines — January 22nd, 2009 Microsoft: ‘We are not immune’ to economy; Cuts 5,000 jobs; Earnings fall short Posted by Larry Dignan @ 6:15 am Categories: Microsoft , Earnings , Economy Tags: Job , Microsoft Corp. , Earnings , Financial Accounting , Finance , Larry Dignan Microsoft said Thursday that it will cut 5,000 jobs across multiple areas like research and development and marketing over the next 18 months with 1,800 layoffs immediately. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s earnings fell short of expectations. As for Microsoft’s ...

Ballmer’s memo to employees: ‘Most challenging economic climate we have ever faced’
All about Microsoft — January 22nd, 2009 Ballmer’s memo to employees: ‘Most challenging economic climate we have ever faced’ Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:50 am Categories: Corporate strategy Tags: Job , Steve Ballmer , Microsoft Corp. , Recruitment & Selection , Data Centers , Investment , Human Resources , Workforce Management , Storage , Hardware Here’s the memo that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent to all Microsoft employees on January 22, explaining Microsoft’s planned layoffs and ...

Netbooks become the bane of Microsoft
Between the Lines — January 22nd, 2009 Netbooks become the bane of Microsoft Posted by Larry Dignan @ 8:00 am Categories: General , Software Infrastructure , Hardware Infrastructure , Microsoft , Intel Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Netbook , Cover Story , Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs , Hardware , Larry Dignan Embedded in Microsoft’s earnings report and restructuring news was an implicit message that’s hard to ignore: Netbooks are disruptive and wreaking havoc in the industry. On the surface, Microsoft’s ...

Microsoft blames netbook appeal, marketing costs for Windows drop
All about Microsoft — January 22nd, 2009 Microsoft blames netbook appeal, marketing costs for Windows drop Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:02 am Categories: Housekeeping Tags: Revenue , OEM , Microsoft Corp. , Netbook , Marketing Expense , Microsoft Windows , Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs , Sales Strategy , Marketing Research , Operating Systems Microsoft’s planned layoff of 5,000 employees over the next 18 months is what most company watchers are focused on today. But performance of the Windows ...

Where are the Microsoft cuts falling?
All about Microsoft — January 22nd, 2009 Where are the Microsoft cuts falling? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:49 am Categories: Windows client , Windows Live , Corporate strategy , Office , Zune , Xbox , Utility/cloud computing Tags: Steve Ballmer , Microsoft Corp. , Team Management , Microsoft Windows , Blogging , Recruitment & Selection , Management , Operating Systems , Software , Internet Already, over on Mini-Microsoft’s virtual water cooler ...

Microsoft to merge Windows Live and Office Live
All about Microsoft — January 22nd, 2009 Microsoft to merge Windows Live and Office Live Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 1:41 pm Categories: Windows Live , Office Live , Corporate strategy , Windows 7 , Office 14 , Office Live Workspace Tags: Microsoft Office Live , Microsoft Windows Live , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Office , Collaboration , Microsoft Windows , Office Suites , Software , Operating Systems , Mary Jo Foley One of the bits of news buried amid the Microsoft ...

Microsoft seeking Win 7 testers for netbooks?
All about Microsoft — January 22nd, 2009 Microsoft seeking Win 7 testers for netbooks? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 3:12 pm Categories: Vista , Windows client , Corporate strategy , Windows XP , Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Netbook , Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Hardware , Software , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft has put out feelers among the beta-testing community for individuals in a number of countries outside the ...

Win 7 on a netbook? Microsoft seeking beta testers outside U.S.
Between the Lines — January 22nd, 2009 Win 7 on a netbook? Microsoft seeking beta testers outside U.S. Posted by Sam Diaz @ 4:48 pm Categories: General , Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Netbook , Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs , Microsoft Windows , Hardware , Operating Systems , Software , Sam Diaz Mary Jo Foley, over at All About Microsoft, is reporting that Microsoft is searching for people in several countries who might be interested in trying Windows 7 on a ...

Sources: Microsoft to close completely its Aces game studio
All about Microsoft — January 23rd, 2009 Sources: Microsoft to close completely its Aces game studio Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:39 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Zune , Xbox Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Aces , GameSutra , Games , Personal Technology , Mary Jo Foley It was unclear on January 22, the day Microsoft announced plans to lay off 5,000 employees, exactly which products, teams and job functions were cut. The day after, it still is fairly murky. But it does seem that tips that the company’s Entertainment & Devices ...

Should Microsoft kick the Zune to the Island of the Misfit Toys?
Hardware 2.0 — January 24th, 2009 Should Microsoft kick the Zune to the Island of the Misfit Toys? Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 5:01 am Categories: Mobile Technology , Microsoft Tags: Revenue , Microsoft Zune , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Operational Accounting , Finance , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes According to an SEC filing , Zune revenues during Q4 08 fell by a whopping 54%. In cash terms that represents a drop in revenue of $100 million. Is it time for Microsoft to kick the Zune to the Island of the Misfit ...

Microsoft worried about EU pressure to bundle alternatives to IE
Hardware 2.0 — January 26th, 2009 Microsoft worried about EU pressure to bundle alternatives to IE Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 10:14 am Categories: In the news , Microsoft Tags: Commission , OEM , Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browser , European Union , Microsoft Windows , Web Browsers , Sales Force Management , Operating Systems The eagle-eyed folks over at PC Pro have gone through the Microosft’s latest filing to the SEC and discovered something ...

PerformancePoint Server, Microsoft datacenters feel the pinch
All about Microsoft — January 26th, 2009 PerformancePoint Server, Microsoft datacenters feel the pinch Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:27 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Office , Office 14 , SharePoint Server , Utility/cloud computing Tags: Microsoft Office SharePoint Server , Data Center , Microsoft SharePoint , Microsoft Corp. , Content Management , Data Centers , Collaboration , Groupware , Enterprise Software , Software News continues to trickle out about which products/teams ...

Near-final IE 8 test build ready for download
All about Microsoft — January 26th, 2009 Near-final IE 8 test build ready for download Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:53 am Categories: Internet Explorer , Vista , Windows 7 , Windows XP , Windows client Tags: Microsoft Internet Explorer , Microsoft Corp. , Internet Explorer 8 Release Candidate 1 , Web Browsers , Internet , Mary Jo Foley On January 26, Microsoft made available to the public for download a near-final test build of its Internet Explorer (IE) 8 browser. The IE 8 Release Candidate (RC) 1 is the ...

Microsoft releases source code under an Apache license
All about Microsoft — January 27th, 2009 Microsoft releases source code under an Apache license Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:03 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Open source , Research , Security Tags: Web , Apache Software Foundation , Microsoft Corp. , Channel Management , Open Source , Marketing , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft has released the source code for the Web Sandbox runtime created by its Live Labs team under the Apache 2.0 license. Microsoft released a Community Technology Preview (CTP) test build of ...

Microsoft delivers new Vista SP2 test build
All about Microsoft — January 28th, 2009 Microsoft delivers new Vista SP2 test build Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 2:08 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Service Pack , Vista , Windows Server 2008/ Windows Server Longhorn , Windows client , Windows server Tags: Microsoft Windows Server , Service Pack 2 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Server 2008 , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo ...

MSFT: EU would force users to pick browser
ZDNet Government — January 28th, 2009 MSFT: EU would force users to pick browser Posted by Richard Koman @ January 28, 2009 @ 9:47 PM Categories: Microsoft Tags: OEM , Microsoft Corp. , Web Browser , MSFT , Microsoft Windows , Web Browsers , Operating Systems , Software , Internet , Richard Koman European Windows customers could be forced to choose a browser when setting up a PC, Microsoft claims in its latest 10-Q filing with the SEC . Such a result is possible because of the European Commission’s ...

Microsoft neuters UAC in Windows 7
Hardware 2.0 — January 30th, 2009 Microsoft neuters UAC in Windows 7 Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 3:45 am Categories: Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , UAC , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes In an attempt to make Windows 7 generate fewer UAC (User Account Control) prompts Microsoft has neutered the mechanism to the point where it’s next to useless. Here’s Long Zheng’s take on the issue: The Achilles’ heel of this system is that changing UAC is also considered a ...

Microsoft Office Genuine Advantage … genuine pain in the rear!
Hardware 2.0 — January 30th, 2009 Microsoft Office Genuine Advantage … genuine pain in the rear! Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 4:48 am Categories: Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Office 2007 , Microsoft SharePoint , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Office , Fax , Office Suites , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes Here’s when mechanisms such as Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) and Office Genuine Advantage (OGA) really get on my nerves … when they get in the way of me doing what I want! Here’s an example. Yesterday I needed to fire ...

Microsoft confirms no more betas for Windows 7
All about Microsoft — January 30th, 2009 Microsoft confirms no more betas for Windows 7 Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:25 pm Categories: Channel , Corporate strategy , OEMs , Resellers , System builders , Vista , Windows 7 , Windows client Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Release Candidate , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft officials on January 30 reiterated that there will be no public Beta 2 of Windows 7 and the ...

Microsoft delivers tool updates for Oslo, Live Framework
All about Microsoft — February 2nd, 2009 Microsoft delivers tool updates for Oslo, Live Framework Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 12:21 pm Categories: Development tools , Live Mesh , Oslo Tags: Software , Oslo , SDK , Microsoft Corp. , Tool , Modeling , Research & Development , Productivity , Business Operations , Mary Jo Foley Microsoft posted for download late last week new test builds of its Oslo software development kit (SDK) and its Live Framework tools. The updated Oslo SDK test ...

What’s Microsoft hiding in its Skybox in the cloud?
All about Microsoft — February 3rd, 2009 What’s Microsoft hiding in its Skybox in the cloud? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 5:30 am Categories: Channel , Code names , Corporate strategy , Live Mesh , Network service providers , Utility/cloud computing , Windows Live , Windows Mobile Tags: Mobile , Microsoft Corp. , Skybox , Skymarket , Skybox Version 2.0 , Skybox 2.0 , Skyline Service , Advertising & Promotion , Microsoft Windows , Marketing If ...

Can the cloud save Windows Mobile?
Between the Lines — February 3rd, 2009 Can the cloud save Windows Mobile? Posted by Larry Dignan @ 9:00 am Categories: General , Microsoft , Mobile , Wired & Wireless Tags: Microsoft Windows Mobile , Mobile , Microsoft Corp. , Skybox , Mary Jo , Advertising & Promotion , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Handhelds , Wireless And Mobility The complaints about Windows Mobile have been mostly about user interface. Windows Mobile looks simply pedestrian ...

Microsoft’s Windows 7 line-up: The good, the bad and the ugly
All about Microsoft — February 3rd, 2009 Microsoft’s Windows 7 line-up: The good, the bad and the ugly Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:10 am Categories: Channel , Corporate strategy , OEMs , Resellers , System builders , Vista , Windows 7 , Windows XP , Windows client Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , SKU , Microsoft Windows , Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs , Operating Systems , Software , Hardware , Mary Jo Foley If you were one of those ...

Microsoft vs. Apple: Beware of your ‘killer instinct’
The Apple Core — February 3rd, 2009 Microsoft vs. Apple: Beware of your ‘killer instinct’ Posted by David Morgenstern @ 10:53 am Categories: Microsoft , Office , Windows Tags: Apple Macintosh , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Desktops , Hardware , David Morgenstern [image] Is Apple is putting such a big hurt on Microsoft that Redmond should retarget Apple and pull the plug on its Macintosh Business Unit? That’s what some blogsters are saying. What are they smoking? According to my ZDNet colleague Jason Perlow, ...

Is UAC broken in Windows 7 beta?
Hardware 2.0 — February 4th, 2009 Is UAC broken in Windows 7 beta? Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 4:58 am Categories: Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , UAC , Microsoft Windows , Security , Operating Systems , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes Is the UAC (User Account Control) mechanism built into Windows 7 beta broken? UAC broken - Windows 7 The other day I blogged about a piece written by Long Zheng which showed how easy it is in Windows 7 beta to step over the low ...

Microsoft’s worst nightmare: Windows 7 deemed less secure than Vista
All about Microsoft — February 4th, 2009 Microsoft’s worst nightmare: Windows 7 deemed less secure than Vista Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 6:27 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Security , Vista , Windows 7 , Windows client Tags: User Account Control , Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley While Microsoft officials won’t say it (at least not publicly), one of Windos 7’s main selling points is likely to be ...

Updated list of Microsoft codenames ready for download
All about Microsoft — February 4th, 2009 Updated list of Microsoft codenames ready for download Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:19 am Categories: Code names , Corporate strategy , Housekeeping Tags: Microsoft Corp. , E-mail , Online Communications , Mary Jo Foley The latest version of my regularly updated list of Microsoft codenames is (finally) out. The list is one of my favorite home-grown reference tools. It’s available for free to any and all interested parties in the form of a handy, downloadable PDF . If you’re a Microsoft customer, ...

Windows Mobile: What’s coming when
All about Microsoft — February 4th, 2009 Windows Mobile: What’s coming when Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:49 am Categories: Channel , Corporate strategy , Mobile services ("Pink"/"Rouge") , Network service providers , OEMs , Windows Live , Windows Mobile , Windows client Tags: Microsoft Windows Mobile , Mobile , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Handhelds , Wireless And Mobility , Software , Hardware , Mary Jo Foley Much was made of this ...

Windows 7 as a free upgrade? I don’t think so!
Hardware 2.0 — February 5th, 2009 Windows 7 as a free upgrade? I don’t think so! Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 4:56 am Categories: Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , OEM , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn) , Operating Systems , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes Over the past few weeks I’ve read a number of articles by tech pundits who seem to be seriously suggesting that Microsoft gives away free copies of Windows 7 to … well, pretty much ...

Microsoft: UAC security setting not changing (for now)
All about Microsoft — February 5th, 2009 Microsoft: UAC security setting not changing (for now) Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 7:43 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Security , Vista , Windows 7 , Windows client Tags: User Account Control , Security , Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley Via a hefty (but uncharacteristically responsive and timely) post to the Engineering Windows 7 blog, Microsoft officials said that they believe ...

How would you tweak Microsoft’s Windows 7 line-up?
All about Microsoft — February 5th, 2009 How would you tweak Microsoft’s Windows 7 line-up? Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 10:42 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Virtualization , Vista , Windows 7 , Windows XP , Windows client Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , SKU , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Virtualization , Software , Hardware , Mary Jo Foley With 1 billion users served, it’s impossible to make everyone happy. But with its Windows 7 SKU plan , ...

Windows 7 chiefs: We messed up
All about Microsoft — February 5th, 2009 Windows 7 chiefs: We messed up Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 4:35 pm Categories: Corporate strategy , Security , Vista , Windows 7 , Windows client Tags: User Account Control , Microsoft Windows 7 , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Mary Jo Foley Scratch all the confusion over the past few days regarding whether Microsoft would take user feedback into account and make the User Account Control (UAC) setting in Windows 7 better ...

Microsoft backpedals on UAC flaw
Hardware 2.0 — February 6th, 2009 Microsoft backpedals on UAC flaw Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 5:19 am Categories: Windows 7 Tags: Microsoft Windows 7 , Flaw , Change , Microsoft Corp. , Beta , Microsoft Windows , Operating Systems , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes After initially describing the ability for code to change UAC (user account Control) levels on Windows 7 beta without generating a UAC prompt as “by design” Microsoft has now agreed to make changes to the Release Candidate code to ...

A Microsoft smartphone: No. A Microsoft phone chassis: Yes
All about Microsoft — February 6th, 2009 A Microsoft smartphone: No. A Microsoft phone chassis: Yes Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 5:31 am Categories: Code names , Corporate strategy , Mobile services ("Pink"/"Rouge") , Telecommunications , Windows Live , Windows Mobile , Xbox , Zune Tags: Phone , Smart Phone , Microsoft Zune , Microsoft Corp. , Smart Phones , Telecom & Utilities , Cellular Phones , Handhelds , Consumer Electronics , Personal ...

Microsoft vs. Open Source competitors … where’s that headed?
Hardware 2.0 — February 8th, 2009 Microsoft vs. Open Source competitors … where’s that headed? Posted by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes @ 12:08 pm Categories: Microsoft Tags: Microsoft Corp. , Windows Competitive Strategy Team , Microsoft Windows , Linux , Open Source , Operating Systems , Software , Adrian Kingsley-Hughes Microsoft has a job vacancy for a  director of open source strategy  - what does this mean for Microsoft, open-source and consumers? The Windows Competitive Strategy team is looking for a strong team ...

Microsoft to target ‘Outlook Live’ phone service at small-biz users
All about Microsoft — February 9th, 2009 Microsoft to target ‘Outlook Live’ phone service at small-biz users Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:47 am Categories: Channel , Corporate strategy , Exchange Server , Mobile services ("Pink"/"Rouge") , Network service providers , OEMs , Office , Office Live , Windows Mobile Tags: Phone , Microsoft Windows Mobile , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Outlook , E-mail , Groupware , Microsoft Office , Telecom & Utilities , ...

In Apple’s footsteps: Google licenses Microsoft ActiveSync
All about Microsoft — February 9th, 2009 In Apple’s footsteps: Google licenses Microsoft ActiveSync Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 11:46 am Categories: Channel , Corporate strategy , Exchange Server , Google , Mobile services ("Pink"/"Rouge") , Network service providers , OEMs , Windows Mobile Tags: Google Inc. , Microsoft ActiveSync , Apple Inc. , Microsoft Corp. , Advertising & Promotion , E-mail Servers , Groupware , Marketing , Enterprise Software , ...

Microsoft updates its enterprise-search roadmap
All about Microsoft — February 10th, 2009 Microsoft updates its enterprise-search roadmap Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 9:01 am Categories: Corporate strategy , Office , Search , SharePoint Server Tags: Enterprise Search , Microsoft SharePoint , Microsoft Corp. , Microsoft Update , Content Management , Collaboration , Groupware , Search , Cloud Computing , Enterprise Software Microsoft officials are sharing a few new tidbits about the company’s enterprise-search roadmap at the FASTForward ‘09 ...

Microsoft awarded 10,000th U.S. patent
Between the Lines — February 10th, 2009 Microsoft awarded 10,000th U.S. patent Posted by Andrew Nusca @ 11:52 am Categories: Microsoft Tags: Patent , Microsoft Corp. , Andrew Nusca [image] The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded Microsoft its 10,000th U.S. patent for surface computing technology. The invention, U.S. Patent No. 7,479,950, outlines how users can place real objects — anything from cell phones to their own fingers — on the computer’s tablelike display and the computer will automatically identify the objects and track their position, ...

Microsoft Big Brains: Patrick Dussud
All about Microsoft — February 11th, 2009 Microsoft Big Brains: Patrick Dussud Posted by Mary Jo Foley @ 8:16 am Categories: Code names , Corporate strategy , Development tools , Microsoft Big Brains , Windows client Tags: Microsoft Corp. , CLR , RedHawk , .Net , Middleware , Software Development , Software/Web Development , Enterprise Software , Software , Mary Jo Foley Just before retiring from day-to-day responsibilities at Microsoft, Chairman Bill Gates said that he expected ...