[The articles below were posted between June 30, 2003 and July 21, 2003 appear in the August 2003 hardcopy edition of Update.]

Server Applications

'Jupiter' Roadmap Solidifies

The beta release of BizTalk Server 2004 marks the initial step in Microsoft's plan to integrate three e-commerce servers into a unified product

Operating Systems

Performance Improvements in Windows Server 2003

Windows Server 2003 can take advantage of recent hardware advances and includes many enhancements to common Windows services, all of which improve performance

Availability Improvements in Windows Server 2003

Windows Server 2003 provides better uptime by reducing the probability of OS failures, by supporting redundancy so failures have less impact, and by easing problem detection and repair

Antivirus Expertise Acquired

Microsoft recently acquired antivirus software vendor GeCAD but has yet to reveal enough about its future intentions to gauge the impact this will have on the antivirus software market

Windows 2000 SP4 Released

The fourth service pack for Windows 2000 fixes bugs, provides new features and device support, and is subject to new Supplemental End User Licensing Agreement terms and conditions

Development Tools & Programs

Platform Vendors Put Squeeze on Tools

Platform vendors are following Microsoft's lead in using their own in-house developer tools to make their platforms more attractive, creating difficult choices for independent tool vendors

A Bug's Life

Bugs are an unfortunate fact of life in software, and Microsoft, like all large software companies, uses a well-defined, companywide process for tracking and fixing bugs

Web Services Toolkit Updated

An updated developer toolkit supports new Web service specifications although most corporate developers are better off waiting until these features are included in Visual Studio and BizTalk Server

Commercial & Consumer Services

MSN Seeks to Improve Search

MSN is developing technology to improve the relevance of its search results and says it will leave the paid search business to partners LookSmart and Overture

MSN Messenger Aims at Youth

MSN Messenger 6.0 appears to have taken lessons from the experimental threedegrees IM client, with new interface features geared toward younger users

Appliances & Emerging Networks

Updated Software Platform for Pocket PCs

An upgrade to Microsoft's platform for Pocket PCs brings native .NET support and many benefits that mainly target wireless users

Gaming Peripherals Discontinued

Too much competition from low-cost manufacturers has led Microsoft to discontinue the SideWinder line of joysticks and other peripherals for PC gamers

Sales & Support

Cost-Cutting in Worldwide Services

Some 161 Microsoft Consulting Services positions have been eliminated and the company has started a pilot program to move some support jobs to India

Corporate News

Executives Settling into New Positions

The developer evangelism leader gains control of server business, the sales force focuses more on vertical markets, and other changes from the July 2003 OrgChart

.NET Ambitions Lowered

The 'bet-the-company' .NET initiative has not transformed the Internet or Microsoft's business, but it remains important to the company's efforts to grow and remain relevant in the enterprise

Q4'03 Shows Companywide Growth

Slow but steady growth in all seven business segments is tempered by a one-time lawsuit settlement charge and a rise in sales and marketing costs in Q4'03

Sun Injunction Reversed; Patent Suit Progresses

Native Java support in Windows is effectively ended, as a court decision won't force Microsoft to ship Sun's version of Java, and prevents it from shipping its own