[The articles below were posted between Jan. 30, 2006 and Feb. 20, 2006 and appear in the March 2006 hardcopy edition of Update. One or more are available below for free to non-subscribers.]
Development Tools & Programs
- Shipping Software: The End Game Revisited
- CTP releases help Microsoft gain feedback earlier in the process, but may not be able to replace betas
- Integrating SAP and Microsoft Systems
- Integration has been improved among products from Microsoft and SAP, but outside of their main lines of business, the companies are direct competitors
- Python Comes to .NET
- A .NET version of Python, a popular scripting language, is available in beta form under Microsoft's Shared Source Licensing program
Corporate News
- Customer Support Organization Shifts
- The Mar. 2006 Directions on Microsoft OrgChart reflects a shift in customer service management, a new leader for OEM sales, and an expanded global accounts organization
- Office Patents, EU Dispute, and Other Legal News
- A patent-infringement loss forces Office 2003 customers to use the latest service pack for new installations; the EU is threatening further fines because of inadequate documentation
- Xbox Shortages Impact Revenues in Q2'06
- Second quarter 2006 revenues fell slightly short of Microsoft's predictions because of Xbox 360 shortages, but six of its seven businesses turned a profit—a company first
- Indemnification for Embedded Partners
- Device manufacturers and distributors are now indemnified against intellectual property claims relating to embedded versions of Windows
Windows & Mobile
- Feb. 2006 Security Updates
- Two critical and five important Feb. 2006 'Patch Tuesday' patches address security bugs in Internet Explorer, Windows, and Office, as well as non-Microsoft browsers running a Media Player plug-in
Server Platforms
- Client Access Licenses Split Server Features
- Customers will require more than one CAL to access the full feature set of some Microsoft servers, complicating customers' choices and possibly raising prices
- Office Server Line Taking Shape
- SharePoint gains features from Content Management Server and support for Excel and InfoPath. Microsoft's first iteration of a Groove server as well as forms and project management servers are also announced
- System Center Reporting Manager 2006 Nears Completion
- By combining, analyzing, and reporting data from Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 and Systems Management Server 2003, System Center Reporting Manager (SCRM) 2006 may help organizations get more useful information out of those management products
- ISA Server SP2 Adds Features
- Service Pack 2 for ISA Server 2004 includes new and enhanced features aimed at branch offices
Business Applications & Services
- Office Live Aims at Small Businesses
- Office Live provides Web hosting, e-mail, and business management applications for small businesses that cannot afford or don't want the complexity of server-based software
- Visio to Dive into Data
- Better data analysis and user interface improvements are planned for Visio 12, the next version of Microsoft's program for drawing business and technical diagrams
- Office 2007 Suite Packaging Announced
- The Office suite's next version will include a new edition for volume license customers; the new packaging could boost less-established products like OneNote and Groove Virtual Office
- Solomon Purchasing, Bank Improvements
- Dynamics SL 6.5 automates purchase-order requisitions and simplifies bank reconciliation processes; conformance to Project Green guidelines will come later
Consumer Products & Services
- Spaces to Tap Users' Contacts
- An update to MSN Spaces shows how MSN intends to leverage its users' contact lists to improve and drive more traffic to its online services
- Research Group Turns Attention Online
- New cooperation between Microsoft Research (MSR) and MSN will help Microsoft spot, create, and capitalize upon new online trends
- Acquisition to Ease Mobile Portal Navigation
- Microsoft has acquired MotionBridge, a company with technology that speeds navigation and search of Internet portals designed for phone-based browsers
Sales & Support
- Emerging Markets Present New Challenges
- Emerging markets have huge populations and economic momentum, but Microsoft will need to adapt its pricing, marketing, channels, and products to tap into their growth
- New Small Business Support
- Small Business+ provides education and technical support for small businesses and may attract them to other Microsoft offerings
- License Advisor Updated
- An online product licensing guide has been updated to include more countries, more volume licensing programs, and links to product use rights
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