[The articles below were posted between Apr. 24, 2006 and May 22, 2006 and appear in the June 2006 hardcopy edition of Update.] One or more are available below for free to non-subscribers.]
Server Platforms
- Free! Two New Management Products Coming
- Two new management products will be released in late 2007: Service Desk, for problem tracking, asset tracking, and change management, and Carmine, for managing Longhorn Server virtual machines
- Service Pack Delivers Database Mirroring
- SQL Server 2005 SP1 delivers database mirroring, a simpler failover solution than the Microsoft Cluster Service; IT workers will need to determine whether mirroring or clustering best meets their requirements
- Virtual Server Free, Linux Guests Supported
- By eliminating licensing fees and increasing support for non-Windows guest OSs, Microsoft hopes to keep customers on its virtualization platform while it readies built-in virtualization support in Windows Longhorn Server
- Management Licenses Modified, Bundled
- The license required for devices managed by Microsoft Operations Manager has been split into Standard and Enterprise Editions, and a new licensing bundle combines device licenses for several management servers
- SQL Server to Link with OLAP Competitor
- Plans to link SQL Server's BI platform with Hyperion's System 9 BI solution could give the companies' joint customers a way of consolidating views of data stored in those systems
- Reporting Manager 2006 Ships
- System Center Reporting Manager (SCRM) 2006, a new tool for analyzing and reporting systems management data, is licensed on a per-server basis
- AssetMetrix to Be Acquired
- Acquisition of AssetMetrix will allow Microsoft to enhance System Management Server's ability to track installed software
- Release Candidate for Scripting Engine
- A release candidate of PowerShell will enable administrators to script routine management tasks, but application developers will need to extend PowerShell to allow their applications to be easily managed
Business Applications & Services
- Free! Custom Code Moves to Office 2007
- Office 2007 changes could affect macros and other application code written for earlier versions of the Office suite
- Excel 2007 Speeds Graphics, Calculation
- Faster calculation and quicker formatting are coming with Excel 2007, the next version of Microsoft's spreadsheet application
- Office 2007 Retires Web Controls
- Office 2007 will ship without the Office Web Components, a set of ActiveX controls that enable users to view and chart data in Web pages
- Genuine Advantage Comes to Office
- Office will be added to the Genuine Advantage antipiracy program, which requires users to demonstrate that they have genuine copies of software
- MapPoint Client Updated
- MapPoint 2006, an update to Microsoft's desktop mapping client for businesses, includes new map data and location-finding capabilities; the MapPoint Web service is moving to Virtual Earth
- Future Work Center Updated
- The Center for Information Work has been updated to demonstrate new priorities for Microsoft's Information Worker organization
Windows & Mobile
- Vista BitLocker Encrypts Windows Volume
- Vista BitLocker Drive Encryption allows a user to fully encrypt their OS volume, but partitioning a drive into volumes is complex, and recovery keys must be stored and managed
- Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 Ships
- NAS devices running Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 have many new features, but the advantages of this platform over a general purpose server running Windows Server 2003 R2 remain questionable
- New Tool, Standard for Windows Media
- A new encoding tool and the approval of Windows Media Video as a standard could spur more content companies to use Microsoft's format
- May 2006 Security Updates
- One of the two critical patches released on the May 2006 'Patch Tuesday' could impact functionality of Exchange servers and even cause some e-mail applications to stop working
Development Tools & Programs
- Tool Aims to Help Threat Modeling
- The Threat Analysis and Modeling Tool helps IT architects identify business threats posed by vulnerabilities in their software, but lack of integration with Visual Studio is likely to hamper adoption
- Expression Web Designer Previewed
- The upcoming Expression Web Designer supports important Web standards, such as CSS and XHTML, as well as ASP.NET, and increases Microsoft's competition with Adobe
Consumer Products & Services
- Understanding Windows Live
- Windows Live will capitalize on fast growth in Internet advertising and respond to innovations from competitors, but it is not a fundamental change in Microsoft's business
- Xbox Live, Add-Ons Highlight E3
- At the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft announced PC connectivity to Xbox Live, an HD DVD add-on, and other updates
- MSN Embracing Content Again
- MSN will once again produce exclusive TV-like shows; increased broadband penetration, experienced content partners, and advertiser interest could help it succeed where past efforts failed
Sales & Support
- Partners Get US$30M for Training
- To meet demand among partners for more trained people, Microsoft will put US$30 million toward certifying 45,000 individuals on new skills over the next year
Corporate News
- Expenses Grow in Q3'06
- Expenses in Q3'06 were higher than expected as Microsoft increases its investment in several areas, including online services
- Latest Antitrust Deals and Other Legal News
- Antitrust settlements are reached with New York State and California municipalities; patent litigation brings wins and losses
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