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Microsoft announced Wednesday ten new vendor partners who will support its corporate instant messaging (IM) platform. Known as Office Live Communications Server 2003, the Microsoft IM for business will feature voice, data and video support and is scheduled for an Oct. 21 debut. The announcement came on the opening day of the Instant Messaging Planet Fall 2003 Conference & Expo in San Jose, Calif.
Microsoft has begun signing up employees for a program that lets workers trade in their "underwater" stock options for cash. The program, which Microsoft announced in July as part of a sweeping change to its stock compensation policy, lets workers trade in options that have an exercise price of at least $33 and don't expire until Feb. 29, at the earliest. In a filing made Wednesday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Microsoft said it has begun a 20-day period in which employees can decide whether to sell underwater stock options to J.P. Morgan Chase.
Microsoft said Wednesday that it has made available a test version of its Windows Server 2003 operating system that runs on 64-bit chips from Advanced Micro Devices. The software maker said it has started allowing some developers access to a test, or beta, version of Windows Server 2003 for 64-bit extended systems that support the AMD64 architecture. A public beta is planned soon, with the final version expected to be released in the first half of next year. Microsoft has already announced plans for a 64-bit version of Windows XP that works with AMD's recently announced Athlon 64 processor. That software is also in beta, with a final release scheduled for early next year.
He's not a household name, but Bob Muglia is part of a small constellation of executives Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer have repeatedly entrusted with important projects over the years.
During the course of his 15-year career with the company, Muglia has been given such responsibilities as managing the development of the MSN network, the Microsoft Office suite and Windows Server applications. These days, Muglia is running the storage business he started some 22 months ago while at the same time overseeing Microsoft's enterprise management division.
If you're wondering why Microsoft is taking so long to release Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), wonder no more: The company is working to back-port various Longhorn security technologies into SP2, providing a mid-ground between the default security found in XP and that which will be available in its next major desktop OS. Code-named "Springboard," the new security features include an updated version of the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), which adds outbound scanning capabilities and other features previously found only in Microsoft's enterprise server product, Internet Security & Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000.
Microprocessor giant Intel Corporation announced yesterday that its third-quarter profit more than doubled year-over-year thanks to stronger-than-expected sales in Asia and Europe; the company exceeded its financial predictions for the quarter. The company posted net income of $1.7 billion (up 142 percent) on revenues of $7.8 billion (up 20 percent). Additionally, Intel shipped a record number of microprocessors in the quarter.
Today, Dell will release its second-generation Pocket PC product line, dubbed Axim X3, which fills gaps in the company's handheld strategy. One Axim X3 product will be low-cost and appeal to consumers, the company told me, while another will offer integrated Wi-Fi capabilities, allowing it to connect to wireless networks. The new thinner and lighter products will be sold alongside the company's existing Axim PDA, known as the Axim X5.
Oracle on Tuesday officially submitted its notification papers to the European Commission over its hostile bid for PeopleSoft. The filing activates a 30-day deadline for antitrust regulators to determine whether to allow its takeover bid to go through or seek a more in-depth review.
If the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Justice challenge the merger, it could be a deal stopper for Oracle. Over the years, the European Commission, an antitrust regulatory body for the European Union, has increasingly wielded great power in determining the fate of companies' mergers. Its role is considered to be as influential as that of the Justice Department, antitrust experts say.
Microsoft started selling an updated version of its Plus Digital Media Edition entertainment software on Tuesday that now lets people create digital-photo slideshows on the PC and watch them on a DVD player. The software, which sells for $19.95, is designed for people using Windows XP who want more features for editing and playing media files such as digital photos, music and home movies.
The most prominently promoted new feature is Plus Photo Story Two, which lets people create a digital photo story--complete with music or narration--copy it to CD, and play it back on most DVD players. Using Microsoft's video compression technology, Windows Media 9 Series, the software also lets people shrink the same slideshow and e-mail it to friends or relatives.
Customers won't have to wait for Longhorn Server for a growing number of new servers and services. Microsoft isn't waiting for Longhorn Server to provide customers with new Windows server technologies. It is growing continually the list of services and servers designed to be layered on top of Windows Server 2003.
"We can't wait till next release to add value," acknowledged Microsoft senior VP Paul Flessner at last week's worldwide partner conference in New Orleans.
Company executives have talked up for a while now several of these servers/services in the works, including Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM), Automated Deployment Services (ADS), Windows SharePoint Services, Windows Rights Management Services and Group Policy Management Console.