[The articles below were posted between Jul. 31, 2006 and Aug. 21, 2006 and appear in the September 2006 hardcopy edition of Update.] One or more are available below for free to non-subscribers.]
Windows & Mobile
- Free! Windows Networking Reworked for Enterprises
- Changes to the networking components of Windows Vista and Windows Longhorn Server will improve network performance, security, and manageability, but a new network map may be less useful
- IE7 Coming Through Automatic Update
- Internet Explorer 7.0 will be distributed through Automatic Update, but IT managers will have the option to block installation on their systems
- SA Supports Legacy Hardware
- A slimmed-down edition of Windows XP is now available for Software Assurance customers to extend the life of their legacy hardware
- XenSource Partnership Deepens
- A new partnership between XenSource and Microsoft will ensure that virtual machines running Xen-enabled Linux will run equally well on either the upcoming Windows 'Longhorn' or XenEnterprise hosts
- Aug. 2006 Security Updates
- Aug. 2006's 'Patch Tuesday' included several critical and important patches, including one critical patch that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security urged Windows users to deploy immediately
Corporate News
- Free! Five Businesses Head Into FY'07
- New leaders and a reorganization from seven to five business segments are intended to help Microsoft expand into new areas while imposing greater discipline on existing businesses
Server Platforms
- Speech Server Becomes Voice Feature
- Speech Server 2007, originally planned as a stand-alone product, will be folded into Office Communications Server 2007
- Communications Alliance With Nortel
- Nortel and Microsoft will be jointly developing, marketing, and selling solutions built on Microsoft's Unified Communications platform
Development Tools & Programs
- MSDE Complicates Vista Migration
- Two versions of the SQL Server Desktop Engine, MSDE 1.0 and 2000, will not be supported on Windows Vista or 'Longhorn' Server
- CodePlex: Shared-Source Developer Community
- CodePlex, a new developer-oriented Web site, serves communities of developers working on software projects that complement Microsoft products
Business Applications & Services
- New Dynamics Licensing Includes Free CRM
- Business Ready Licensing eliminates per-module Dynamics pricing and simplifies the Enhancement Plan maintenance contract, but customers may find themselves licensing Dynamics modules that they do not need
- OneNote Goes Mainstream
- The inclusion of OneNote 2007 in several Office 2007 editions poises Microsoft's note-taking application for widespread usage; a series of incremental improvements from OneNote 2003 adds up to a significant upgrade
- Healthcare Software Expansion
- Acquisition of a clinical data management product has kicked off Microsoft's expansion into healthcare software
- Virtual PC, VBA Dropped for Mac
- Two Microsoft products for the Macintosh—Virtual PC and Visual Basic for Applications—are being discontinued
- Industry Builder Program Grows
- Four new companies have joined the Industry Builder certification program for Dynamics partners, but the program so far includes solutions only for Dynamics AX
Consumer Products & Services
- iPod, iTunes Competitors Coming This Year
- Zune is a new brand of digital media products and services from Microsoft; the first Zune products, a portable audio/video player and online store, will be available in 2006
- Spaces Extends Live Strategy
- With its latest update, Windows Live (formerly MSN) Spaces takes on social networking sites like MySpace
- Desktop Application Aids Blogging
- Windows Live Writer, a WYSIWYG blog editor that works with multiple blogging services, shows Microsoft's strategy to link thick client software with online services
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