[The articles below were posted between Aug. 28, 2006 and Sep. 18, 2006 and appear in the October 2006 hardcopy edition of Update. One or more are available below for free to non-subscribers.]
Development Tools & Programs
- Free! InfoPath 2007 Focuses on Developers
- Improved ties to SharePoint and better integration with Visual Studio could give InfoPath 2007 new relevance for corporate developers, but it remains one of many options for creating forms-based applications
- 'Agile Innovation' to Speed Development
- The need to ship traditional software products and deliver new online services in a timely manner is driving a change in how Microsoft develops its products
Sales & Support
- Free! Customer Campaigns Replace GTMs
- Customer Campaigns will replace Go-To-Market campaigns in the 2007 fiscal year, and they could significantly alter how Microsoft engages customers and partners, as well as the design of products themselves
- Software Asset Management Makes Waves
- Pushing software asset management engagements on customers who may not be compliant with Microsoft licensing rules has had mixed results
- Microsoft Financing Extended
- Microsoft Financing has reduced minimum loan sizes, moved into new markets, and is offering a promotion that could aid sales of Windows Vista and Office 2007
Windows & Mobile
- HD DVD on Vista Requires Extra Software
- Vista users will need third-party software to play content on prerecorded HD DVD discs, just as is the case with Windows XP and regular DVDs
- Sept. 2006 Security Updates
- Sept. 2006's 'Patch Tuesday' included one critical, one important, and one moderate severity patch, as well as updates to two patches from last month's release
Server Platforms
- Commerce Server 2007 Ships
- Commerce Server 2007 gets faster business user tools and improved BizTalk integration, but some existing Commerce Server sites will need to be rewritten to run on the new release
- Management Model Roadmap
- A multivendor systems management technology called the Service Modeling Language (SML) could play a central role in Microsoft's efforts to improve configuration and monitoring of its products
Business Applications & Services
- Office Accounting 2007 Beta
- A beta version of Office Accounting 2007 will help small companies sell items on eBay and improves integration with Business Contact Manager, but it does not integrate with Dynamics CRM
Consumer Products & Services
- Zune Portable Media Player Unveiled
- The first Zune device will be a fairly straightforward portable music player with some unique features, such as the ability to transfer material between devices wirelessly
- Online Deals with Facebook, ISPs
- An advertising syndication deal with Facebook could boost Microsoft's online revenue, while extensions of deals with Qwest and Verizon will guide traffic to Windows Live
- Developer Kit and Camera Back Xbox
- To maintain interest in the Xbox 360 and Windows games through the 2006 holiday season, Microsoft will release an inexpensive game development kit for hobbyists and several new peripherals, including a video camera
Corporate News
- Office Veterans to Lead Windows
- Organization changes at the vice-presidential level and above since June 2006
- Buyback Plan Falls Short
- A plan to buy back up to 808 million shares worth up to US$20 billion through a reverse Dutch auction has netted less than 155 million shares; Microsoft might buy the rest later on the open market
- Board Member Retiring
- Ann McLaughlin Korologos, a member of Microsoft's board of directors since Jan. 2000, will not seek reelection at the company's Nov. 2006 shareholders' meeting
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