Operating Systems & Server Applications

New Tools Simplify Novell NDS to Active Directory Migration

The release of Services for NetWare 5.0 gives NetWare shops running Novell Directory Services the tools needed to migrate their servers to Windows 2000 and Active Directory

Windows 2000 SP1 Ships

SP1 fixes 270 bugs, including minor security holes, hardware compatibility problems, performance issues, and various obscure system crashes and resource leaks

In Brief: Application Center pricing and second beta released

The product is expected to ship in the fourth quarter and will have an estimated retail price of US$2,999 per processor

Network & Internet Platforms

In Brief: BizTalk Server beta posted

The second public pre-release of BizTalk includes Orchestration, a set of graphical programming tools and components

In Brief: Checklist helps secure Win2K Web servers

The eight-page checklist explains how to configure network protocols, and access control lists, log files, and digital certificates with IIS 5

In Brief: Italian telco investment promotes Windows 2000

The investment in Blixer gives Microsoft a European testbed for Windows 2000-based software aimed at telcos

Development Tools & Programs

New Specs, Tools Support SOAP

A draft specification for a SOAP Discovery protocol and an updated SOAP Toolkit were both recently posted on the Web

In Brief: XML parser in beta

This beta is the latest in a series of updates and might be the last before a production version is released in fall 2000

Desktop Applications

In Brief: Early technical beta of Office 10 ships

New team collaboration, voice recognition, and other features promise to make the successor to Office 2000 a compelling upgrade

In Brief: Free eBook software released for PCs

The new Reader software, which was previously supported on handheld devices only, allows PC users to display books distributed in electronic form

Appliances & Embedded Systems

Windows CE 3.0 Leads New Charge Into Embedded Systems

Microsoft has fine-tuned its embedded operating system and development tools to tap a strategic market for dedicated devices like medical monitors and cash registers

In Brief: Compaq announces Win2K storage appliance

Compaq is the first manufacturer to build a network-attached storage (NAS) appliance powered by a specialized version of Windows 2000

In Brief: Xbox software developer kit ships

The first in a series of kits lets game designers develop Xbox titles on a PC upgraded with the special hardware

Commercial & Consumer Services

Instant Messaging Standard in Development

In an effort to blunt AOL's huge lead in instant messaging (IM), Microsoft and other vendors created an industry coalition to promote IM interoperability

MSN Claimed as Most Popular Web Destination

Based on Microsoft's internal statistics, MSN properties are the number one worldwide Internet destination for consumers

In Brief: Hotmail moving from Unix to Windows 2000 servers

Microsoft is swapping out UNIX machines and replacing them with Windows 2000 servers; the migration should be completed in the fall

In Brief: MSN Messenger offers free long distance calling

MSN Messenger 3.0 lets users in the U.S. and Canada make free PC-to-phone calls anywhere within North America; users worldwide can make free PC-to-PC calls

In Brief: Microsoft exits ISP business in Japan

Current MSN Internet Access service customers will be transferred to a subsidiary of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone by the end of the year

Sales & Support

Gartner Group Criticizes Licensing Agreements

Millions of PCs that have been "reimaged" or "ghosted" by corporations that want their PCs to have a common configuration may be illegal under Microsoft licensing rules

Industry Partners Get Testing Environment

Microsoft's Partner Solutions Center is where Microsoft tests its products in complex environments, with the help of large hardware and software companies and alliance partners

In Brief: Support capped for Windows and Office

Retail customers will get only two free phone support incidents for Windows and ice, but with little other fanfare

In Brief: Promotional pricing for Windows ME announced

Windows Me will be available Sept. 14 2000 at a promotional price, but with little other fanfare

In Brief: Microsoft announces top partners

Microsoft handed out awards for its top solution partners at the Fusion 2000 event

Corporate News

Product Groups Reorganized for .NET

In an effort to accelerate work on .NET initiatives, Group Vice Presidents Rick Belluzzo, Bob Muglia, and Jeff Raikes get new responsibilities

European Union Advances Antitrust Charges

European regulators, echoing some of the same arguments that the U.S. DoJ has used against Microsoft, say Microsoft may have violated European competition laws

Legal Update

Microsoft and the DoJ are taking competing positions regarding the venue for their next fight; Microsoft busy fending off dozens of class-action suits

Retention and Recruitment Acceptance Rates Remain High

Employee attrition rose last fiscal year, but still remains at about half the industry average

In Brief: Microsoft to begin repurchasing stock

The repurchase program, suspended after the Dec 1999 Visio acquisition in accordance with SEC rules, is resuming