[The articles below were posted between September 30, 2002 and October 21, 2002 and appear in the November 2002 hardcopy edition of Update. One or more are available below for free to non-subscribers.]

Operating Systems

Free! A Fork in the Road to Longhorn?

Microsoft executives have begun to talk about an ambitious Windows release called Longhorn, but that vision might be delivered by multiple Windows releases

Free! "Greenwich" to Support Windows IM, Real-Time Communications

Envisioned as an optional add-on to Windows .NET Server, 'Greenwich' is designed to make instant messaging more appealing to businesses and to provide a platform for real-time communications

Windows Media Platform Updated with Series 9

A comprehensive update to the Windows Media platform could spur adoption, but Microsoft will continue to face stiff competition from Real Networks and MPEG for the foreseeable future

Sales and Support

Free! Vertical Sales Teams Consolidated, Expanded

A sales team dedicated to selling 'vertical solutions' from Microsoft and its partners might give the company more traction among large enterprises

New Support Life-Cycle Policy

Microsoft has lengthened the support period for most of its products, bringing its policies into better alignment with the way customers purchase products, and plan for upgrades & support

Competitors See Opening in Licensing

Competitors are attempting to exploit confusion and discontent over Microsoft's volume licensing programs, prompting Microsoft toward tactical shifts in those programs

Server Applications

Business Solutions Group Begins to Consolidate

Branding and pricing changes will reduce customer confusion about the many Microsoft Business Solutions products, but could make it harder for resellers to differentiate themselves

"Jupiter" to Merge E-Commerce Servers

Microsoft plans to integrate its three separate e-commerce server products into a unified product

CMS 2002 Pricing, Ship Date

Content Management Server 2002 will ship by the end of 2002 and will be priced nearly identical to its predecessor

Desktop Applications

XDocs Delivers Office XML Interface

Microsoft’s announcement that in 2003 it will release XDocs, an XML-oriented forms-processing tool, highlights the company’s growing focus on XML

Commercial & Consumer Services

MSN 8 Launch, Alliances

Microsoft will spend US$300 million trying to get AOL users to switch to the newly launched MSN 8

Appliances & Emerging Networks

Wireless WAN Strategy Takes Shape

Microsoft's mobility strategy is coming together after some false starts, but the company is still depending on wireless carriers and must finish its mobile platform to succeed

Hardware to Promote Home Nets

A new line of home networking hardware pits Microsoft against established partners in a low-margin business, but high volumes and strategic side effects could make the move pay off

Shortcuts Sought for Last Mile

To promote home broadband service and its Internet content business, Microsoft is seeking government help to promote public wireless networks and ban interference by broadband providers

Corporate News

Latest Buys Reflect Acquisition Strategy

Microsoft buys companies like game developer Rare and secure data storage vendor XDegrees to quickly grow market share, acquire a key technology, or gain employees with specific industry expertise

First Quarter Sees Record Revenue

Unearned revenue stemming from the shift to a new licensing plan continues to play a major role in Microsoft's financial results, but the company noted risks from Linux and Xbox

Veteran Simonyi Forms Tool Venture

Veteran Microsoft software architect Charles Simonyi founds a development tools firm with an explicit "blessing" from Bill Gates and an unusual cross-licensing agreement with Microsoft