[The articles below were posted between May 31, 2004 and June 21, 2004 and appear in the July 2004 hardcopy edition of Update.]

Server Platforms

Components Added to Exchange Roadmap

The Exchange messaging and collaboration server will be sold in more specialized editions for tasks such as spam filtering; major technical changes are unlikely through 2008

More Polished Operations Manager Nearing Completion

Operations Manager 2005 will include a new console, reporting system, and improved management packs and will be available in a less costly 'Express' version aimed at small businesses

New Tools for BizTalk Development

A new project system allows developers to create BizTalk Server 2004 solutions in the Visual Studio .NET integrated development environment, but some important BizTalk tools are not part of the system

SQL Best Practices Tool Available

A free download for SQL Server 2000 could help administrators maintain consistent operational procedures across their SQL Server infrastructure and improve the performance and efficiency of the underlying databases

Feature Pack Next for Commerce Server

A new feature pack for Commerce Server 2002 signals Microsoft's commitment to future Commerce Server releases and improves the product's business management features

ISA Server 2004 Standard Edition Pricing

ISA Server 2004 Standard Edition will cost the same as its predecessor and will be available from some OEMs as a firewall appliance.

New Content Management Pricing, Strategy

Content Management Server 2002 now comes in a less expensive Standard Edition and integrates better with SharePoint Portal Server 2003; further integration is not likely

Windows and Mobile

NGSCB: Back to the Drawing Board

Although few details are known, Microsoft will be making significant architectural changes to its Next-Generation Secure Computing Base

New Services for NetWare Feature Pack

Because companies using NetWare are likely to migrate to Linux or Windows in the future, Microsoft has updated its NetWare migration tools

Business Applications and Services

Reorganization, Outsourcing at MBS

After recent financial results showed Microsoft Business Solutions lagging, the division has reorganized and outsourced some development and support for the Solomon product line

New Platform for Office Smart Clients

The Office Information Bridge Framework will provide a simpler platform for Office-based 'smart client' solutions that access data in Web services

OneNote Service Pack Adds Features

A free preview is available for the first OneNote service pack, which offers better integration with Office and Windows Mobile devices and supports new types of input (such as video)

Insurance Accelerator Launched

A new role for InfoPath and a security-focused alliance mark recent Microsoft initiatives in the insurance industry

Development Tools & Programs

Community Building Aims at Developers

To build a strong community around its platforms, Microsoft is creating specialized Web sites, encouraging employees to blog, and putting more code into its shared source programs

Visual Studio Targets Application Life Cycle

Roughly 18 months after IBM acquired life-cycle tools-maker Rational, Microsoft has announced that Visual Studio 2005 (code-named Whidbey) will include tools for modeling, team development, and project management

Web Services Enhancements 2.0 Toolkit

Version 2.0 of the Web Services Enhancements toolkit enables advanced developers to build secure Web services, but developers should make sure they need the toolkit's capabilities before putting it into production

Consumer Products and Services

MSN's Evolving Advertising Business

Advertising has supplanted subscriptions as MSN's main source of revenue and is largely responsible for the division's recent profitability

MSN Reveals Broad Search Intentions

MSN is not only trying to increase the relevance of its Web search results but is also working on tools to help users search files on their PC, e-mail, and other material

Sales & Support

Support Life Cycle Extended

Support time frames for Microsoft products have been extended for three years and more. The longer life cycle will aid organizations in long-term planning

Maintaining Software Through the Life Cycle

Organizations depend on Microsoft to deliver regular software updates to maintain the usability and security of their software for many years after its release

New Partner Program Readied

A new partner program brings all of Microsoft's diverse partner programs under one roof, but aims to provide partners with a relationship tailored to their needs

Corporate News

Gates Pitches Collaboration, Security to CEOs

Collaboration, security, and workflow were major themes in Bill Gates's 2004 speech to CEOs