[The articles below were posted between December 29, 2004 and January 24, 2005 appear in the February 2005 hardcopy edition of Update. One or more are available below for free to non-subscribers.]

Windows and Mobile

Free! Free Software Update Technology to Cover All Products

Microsoft’s free centralized software update management solution will be revamped in the first half of 2005 to cover more Microsoft products, but fee-based SMS 2003 still provides significantly better capabilities

Service Pack Enhances Windows Server Security

The first service pack for Windows Server 2003 includes several security improvements, and the changes should raise fewer application compatibility issues than Windows XP SP2

January Updates Include New Tool

The Jan. 2005 release of patches for vulnerabilities in Microsoft software included critical and important updates and a new tool to help find and remove some malicious software

Performance Tool Helps Tune Windows Server

A free tool for Windows Server 2003 can help administrators monitor and troubleshoot server performance

Sales and Support

Free! Going to Market, Microsoft Style

Go-to-market campaigns help focus Microsoft’s marketing and align partner efforts with the company’s priorities

Software Assurance Faces Critical Year

Customers facing upgrade renewal deadlines in 2005 must review their plans carefully to make the right choices

Server Products

Analysis Services Matures in SQL Server 2005

SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services is a more fully realized platform for building online analytic processing (OLAP) and data mining applications and could help drive upgrades to SQL Server 2005

IM, Portal Join Exchange Hosting

Service providers hosting e-mail on Exchange Server will want to investigate the Hosted Messaging and Collaboration Solution, a just-updated package of management software and documentation

Development Tools & Programs

VS 2005 Checks in New Source Control

Visual Studio 2005 Team System includes a new source-code control system that addresses weaknesses that kept Visual Source Safe from being used by large ISVs and enterprise developers

Visual Studio Team System Targets Multiple Roles

Visual Studio 2005 Team System includes many team features previously left to third parties, and its integration with the rest of Visual Studio makes it worth a look

Consumer Products and Services

New Digital Media Partners Announced

At the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Microsoft announced several new digital media partners, including TiVo, but remained silent about the next Xbox

New Hotmail Subscription Includes Outlook

MSN’s new Office Outlook Live offering combines its Hotmail Plus service with subscription rights to the full Outlook client, but Outlook Live’s US$40 per year additional cost will be hard to justify over just buying Outlook

Online Magazine Slate Sold

An eight-year experiment in online journalism enters a new phase as Microsoft sells Slate to the Washington Post Company

Corporate News

Overseas R&D Expanding

Although Microsoft is expanding its development offices in India and elsewhere outside the United States, most key development and strategy will continue to be done in Redmond

CFO Connors Resigns

After five years as chief financial officer and 16 years total at Microsoft, John Connors is resigning to join a venture capital firm

EU Refuses to Stay Penalties

To comply with a Dec. 2004 legal judgment, Microsoft will create a new protocol-licensing program and offer a version of Windows without the Windows Media Player to OEMs in Europe