After years of working to crack the handheld and cell phone market, Microsoft is counting on Ya-Qin Zhang to help build products that will finally appeal to the masses. That shouldn't be too much of a challenge for Zhang, who is used to taking on daunting tasks. He joined the company late in 1998 and built Microsoft's research lab in China from scratch into an organization of more than 500 people.
But in taking on the role as head of development for Windows CE and Windows Mobile, Zhang must help turn a comparatively tiny and still unprofitable unit into something worthy of Redmond's attention.
Microsoft and Apple Computer are searching for the same thing with their next operating systems: a better way to find stuff on an increasingly cluttered hard drive. The software makers have made scouring for information a top priority. In large part, that's because hard drives have continued to grow, stretching the limits of old ways of accessing information, such as looking through folders.
In a move to make it easier for vendors to operate and compete, Microsoft will draw Business Solutions (MBS) channel partners into the Microsoft Partner Program (MPP) global framework. The deadline is the next step in a year-long process that, when complete, will benefit the vendors and their potential customers, as well as the software giant.
Redmond also launched the Microsoft Business Solution Competency certification and began offering a new reseller agreement called the Solution Provider Agreement (SPA). Starting today, partners can begin enrolling in the Microsoft Business Solution Competency, sign the SPA and begin ordering new MBS services plans. All MBS Partners must sign the new reseller agreement.
Noticed a spike in your Web traffic lately? You're not the only one. Webmasters across the Internet have been tracking a surge in spider activity coming from Microsoft's MSNbot over the past few months and sleuthing over what kind of new search offerings the software giant is cooking up.
MSNbot, the generation Web search crawler that Microsoft announced last year, appears to be aggressively crawling the Web as part of the algorithmic search effort to be included at a future point in its newly revised MSN Search portal.
Microsoft is trying to dampen speculation that it will make a major acquisition in the antivirus market. The software giant was the subject of rumors in June that it was in talks to buy security firm Network Associates.
Steven Adler, European senior security specialist at Microsoft, told Silicon.com at the TechEd developer conference here this week that the company's antivirus plans are still at an early stage, including the integration of software from last year's acquisition of antivirus firm GeCad.
Now that Apple has previewed publicly its "Tiger" Mac OS X 10.4 release, everyone's raring to pit Tiger against "Longhorn." And there's plenty of fodder for a grudge match. Both Apple and Microsoft are set to showcase new search systems, built-in RSS readers, new scripting shells and 64-bit support in their next-gen operating systems.
But instead of focusing on features and functionality, many operating system (OS) aficionados - from Apple CEO Jobs on down - are dwelling on the no-win contest regarding who's the biggest copy cat.
Microsoft is expected to take its first baby steps on the road to Web search independence on Thursday, with the launch a test version of a homegrown Internet navigation tool and changes to its current search engine.
The revamped MSN Search remains a front end for technology provided by Yahoo, offering mainly a facelift aimed to make it look more like Google. The relatively minor changes signal that--after a year in development and $100 million investment--Microsoft's ballyhooed search push still has a long way to go.
A U.S. Appeals Court on Wednesday upheld Microsoft's landmark antitrust settlement with the Department of Justice and several state attorneys general, rejecting Massachusetts' appeal for stiffer penalties.
"The order approving the consent decree in the public interest is affirmed," the appeals court wrote in an 83-page ruling that preserves the settlement and dismisses the objections of Massachusetts--the lone holdout state--and two industry trade groups.
Microsoft was quick to praise the decision. Brad Smith, senior vice president and general counsel at Microsoft, said in a statement. "Today's unanimous decision sends a clear and emphatic message that the settlement reached two years ago is a fair and appropriate resolution of these issues."
This week, Microsoft settled three separate class-action lawsuits, in Arizona, Massachusetts, and North Dakota, marking the 11th, 12th, and 13th times the company has settled post-antitrust defeat cases in the US. The company will pay up to a combined $145 million to settle the cases.
In the Arizona case, Microsoft's proposed settlement is worth $105 million in software vouchers, and customers who purchased Windows or Office products between 1996 and 2002 will receive vouchers worth $9 to $12 for each purchase. Some Arizona schools will receive unclaimed vouchers toward the purchase of computer products.
Microsoft has dismissed high-profile European government defections to open source, but acknowledged that Europe will be a key battleground between Windows and Linux.
Speaking to Silicon.com at the TechEd 2004 conference in Amsterdam this week, Microsoft's European general manager, Philippe Dumont, said there are cultural reasons for some governments wanting to limit dependency on U.S.-based multinationals.
Dumont also acknowledged that more customers are using Linux to try to get deeper discounts on Microsoft products. He added that it is a "fair" negotiating tactic.