Posted: Jun. 23, 2008

[The articles below were posted between Jun. 2, 2008 and Jun. 23, 2008 and appear in the July 2008 hardcopy edition of Update. One or more are available below for free to non-subscribers.]

Systems Management and Security

Free! Virtual Machine Manager 2008 Supports Hyper-V

Virtual Machine Manager 2008 will support Microsoft and VMware virtualization technologies, patch virtual machines offline, and respond better to problems detected by Operations Manager

Operations Manager Going Cross-Platform

Operations Manager 2007 will be able to manage non-Microsoft products and virtualized environments using cross-platform extensions and third-party management packs

Application Platform

Reporting Services Overhauled for SQL Server 2008

Reporting Services gets a major overhaul in SQL Server 2008 that improves report processing performance and offers more flexible report layout, but the scope of changes could complicate upgrades

Free! Software Plus Services and Developers

Developers have dozens of ways to tap into Windows Live services and can use some emerging Microsoft services specifically for application development, but they should proceed with caution

Expression Studio 2 Backs Silverlight

Expression Studio 2, the latest version of Microsoft's graphic design suite, adds support across the board for Silverlight but also improves support for common Web technologies that compete with Microsoft's

Silverlight 2 Previewed

A June 2008 preview has shipped of the Silverlight 2 platform and Expression Blend 2.5, which provides graphic design tools for the platform

Velocity Speeds High-Traffic Applications

Velocity, a distributed, in-memory data caching software system to speed database access, was released in a June 2008 preview

Windows & Mobile

Windows Search Updated

An incremental update to Microsoft's desktop search tool offers better performance, improvements for administrators, and the ability to search files that are encrypted or located on remote network-connected PCs

Windows 7 Information Drips Out

Microsoft is beginning to discuss the next version of Windows, but it is trying to manage expectations for the next version of its flagship OS by controlling information disclosure

Business Applications & Services

Hosted Messaging and Collaboration Updated

Hosted Messaging and Collaboration, Microsoft's hosting platform for service providers, is updated to include Windows Server 2008 and voice services from Communications Server 2007

Integration Toolkit for PerformancePoint

A free toolkit could help developers connect PerformancePoint Server 2007 to general ledger systems; however, it builds on a dated version of Microsoft's .NET Framework platform

Consumer and Small Business

HP To Distribute Live Search, Silverlight

A one-year deal will promote both Live Search and Silverlight on HP's consumer PCs beginning in 2009

TV Ad Placement Company Acquired

Navic Networks plays no role in traditional on-air TV advertising, but allows TV providers to sell new types of ads in new places

More Partners, Deployments for Mediaroom

Deployments in India, Italy, and Russia are under way

Corporate and Legal

Jon Shirley to Leave Board

Former Chief Operating Officer Jon Shirley will not seek reelection to Microsoft's board of directors in Nov. 2008, ending his 25-year membership