[The articles below were posted between Mar. 27, 2006 and Apr. 17, 2006 and appear in the May 2006 hardcopy edition of Update.] One or more are available below for free to non-subscribers.
Server Platforms
- Free! Systems Management Server Roadmap
- In an unusual move, Microsoft has simultaneously released betas of the next two versions of Systems Management Server, but many customers may prefer to wait for the later release unless they have Software Assurance
- FrontBridge Becomes Exchange Hosted Services
- Microsoft's acquisition of FrontBridge has resulted in four new service offerings that allow customers to outsource certain e-mail security and archiving functions
- BizTalk 2006 Ships with Adapters, Host Integration
- New features in BizTalk Server 2006 could simplify deployment and management, and some important bundled features could also speed application development
- Cisco Becomes Telephony Partner
- Cisco has finally partnered with Microsoft to make its IP-based telephony products compatible with Microsoft's, but it will probably be an uneasy relationship
- ProClarity Acquisition Nets OLAP Client
- The pending purchase of ProClarity will yield a full-featured client for SQL Server Analysis Services but closes one of the remaining opportunities for partners to complement Microsoft's OLAP strategy
Sales & Support
- Free! Chinese PC Makers to Ship Legal OSs
- Chinese computer makers are now required to install a legal OS on all computers they ship, a measure that could reduce piracy in China
- New Software Assurance Benefits Rolled Out
- Software Assurance benefits get another boost, with better technical support and new desktop deployment planning services
- Solution Finder Launched
- A new partner-to-customer marketing engine, Solution Finder, ranks partners by their skills and experience with specific solutions
- Terminal Services CAL Transition Extended
- Customers who are eligible for free Terminal Services Client Access Licenses have been given until mid-2007 to obtain them
Windows & Mobile
- Next Windows, Office in 2007
- The next versions of Windows and Office will not be generally available until 2007, although volume license customers will be able to get them in late 2006
- Hybrid Storage Appliances Coming
- The WinTarget technology acquired from String Bean Software will allow storage appliance vendors to build hybrid Windows storage devices that support both SAN and NAS access
- Apr. 2006 Security Updates
- Three critical, one important, and one moderate patch were released on the Apr. 2006 'Patch Tuesday,' including a critical patch for a publicly circulating exploit
Development Tools & Programs
- Team Server Completes Visual Studio Team System
- Team Foundation Server, the server portion of the Visual Studio Team System, is now available
- WPF/E Moves Toward .NET
- Changes in Microsoft's plans for WPF/E, its cross-platform graphics framework, mean developers will be able to use C# and VB to build desktop and Web applications that run on platforms other than Windows
- Speech Server 2007 En Route
- An update to Speech Server will add support for VoiceXML, the .NET Framework, and VoIP and could help call centers reduce development and operating costs
- Game Development Tools Previewed
- Two years after announcing XNA, a planned unified development platform for Xbox and PC games, Microsoft unveiled several new components at the Mar. 2006 Game Developers Conference
Business Applications & Services
- New OLAP Features for Excel
- New Excel features for browsing Analysis Services cubes could extend Microsoft's lead in the OLAP server market, but will also squeeze partners that create Excel add-ins for Analysis Services
- New BI Application for Solomon
- A new business scorecard application built on SQL Server Analysis Services provides canned business performance reports for Dynamics SL users
Consumer Products & Services
- Parental Control Service Planned
- Windows Live Family Safety Settings will help parents keep track of their children's online activities and block inappropriate Web sites
- Ad Programs Expanding
- MSN has started selling display advertisements on next-generation 'Live' services and is gradually expanding its adCenter pilot program in the United States
- Passport Rebrand Planned
- The next version of Passport will be called Windows Live ID and will support the InfoCard identity management system slated for Vista
- Automotive Adds New Platform
- Windows Mobile for Automotive (WMFA) uses a standard hardware reference design and will be less expensive to implement than Windows Automotive, but it has only one customer so far
- Fable Developer Acquired
- Lionhead Studios, which developed the Xbox game Fable, has been acquired by Microsoft Game Studios
Corporate News
- Sinofsky to Lead Windows Client, Online Services
- Windows and online services will be under new management after a reorganization of the Platforms and Services group, as Steven Sinofsky takes over development of the next Windows client release
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