News


Microsoft 17th in Trusted Companies Poll; Google, Apple Miss Top 20

Technology giants Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Microsoft were ranked among the top 20 companies U.S. consumers trust most with their privacy in a study published this week by research firm Ponemon Institute.

Surface RT Barely Registers in IDC's Q4 Tablet Market Report

Microsoft's Surface RT tablet has made few inroads in the months since its release, according to data from IDC announced on Thursday.

Google Extends Windows Phone ActiveSync Support by Six Months

Windows Phone users will have until July 31 to access Google Apps features that use Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync technology, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft Releases Next-Generation Office 365 Products (UPDATED)

Microsoft released the consumer, student and small-business editions of its next-generation Office 365 products on Tuesday.

VMware To Lay Off up to 900 Despite Positive Earnings Report

Despite reporting rising revenues in its latest earnings report, cloud and virtualization giant VMware announced on Monday that it would be implementing companywide layoffs.

Forefront Identity Manager 2010 R2 SP1 Released

Service Pack 1 for Microsoft's Forefront Identity Manager 2010 R2 (FIM 2010 R2) product was released earlier this month to Microsoft's volume licensing and professional services subscribers, such as TechNet and MSDN members, according to a Microsoft blog post.

Intel To Shutter Desktop Motherboard Unit

Intel's business unit that makes desktop motherboards will begin winding down its operations over a three-year period, according to information given to the press this week.

Windows Division Leads Microsoft's Q2 Earnings Report

Microsoft reported $21.5 billion in revenue for its second fiscal quarter on Thursday, part of a largely upbeat earnings report for the company.

Windows 8 Upgrade Offer Expires This Month

For those still on the fence about upgrading to Windows 8, Jan. 31 is when Microsoft's upgrade promotional offers will end for the two Windows 8 editions.

Ex-Microsoft OEM Chief: How Windows 95 Led to Microsoft's Antitrust Era

A new book from a former Microsoft executive describes how Microsoft's Windows 95 product push later led to antitrust problems with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Surface Pro Availability Set for Feb. 9

Originally expected to become available this month, the x86-based Surface Pro tablet PCs running Windows 8 will hit retail shelves on Feb. 9 in the United States and Canada, Microsoft confirmed on Tuesday.

Despite Problems, HP Says It Will Not Sell Autonomy and EDS

Hewlett-Packard this week denied reports that it is planning to sell its Autonomy and Electronic Data Services (EDS) units.

Microsoft Offers Explanation for December Windows Azure Outage

Customers of Microsoft's Windows Azure Storage service who were affected by December's two-day disruption received a detailed apology and explanation from Microsoft on Wednesday.

Report: Dell in Buyout Talks with TPG, Silver Lake

Dell may be considering leveraged buyout proposals from private equity firms, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday.

Microsoft Releases System Center 2012 SP1, Delivers Azure Updates

Service Pack 1 (SP1) of System Center 2012 is now generally available, as well as a new Windows Intune service update release and Windows Azure improvements.

Microsoft Courts Retailers with Windows Embedded 8, Dynamics AX for Retail

At this week's National Retail Federation (NRF) Convention and Expo in New York City, Microsoft is trying to coax nervous retailers into adopting touch-based Windows Embedded 8 solutions.

Study: Windows Server 2012 Gets High Marks for Storage

Windows Server 2012 is a "no brainer" for businesses to deploy in terms of storage efficiency and agility, according to the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG).

Analyst Dials Down Microsoft Stock Forecast Amid 'Flat' Market

Due to sluggish PC demand, an analyst with financial services company Morgan Stanley has downgraded expectations for Microsoft's stock in the near term.

Feds Weigh In on Standards-Essential Patents in Wake of IP Lawsuits

Two federal agencies this week got more vocal about standards-essential patents (SEPs) in response to ongoing legal disputes involving Microsoft, Google and Apple over mobile device intellectual property.

Windows Phone 8 Gets Enterprise Assist from Avanade, Nokia

Nokia and Avanade, a major Microsoft partner and IT consulting firm, are partnering on an initiative aimed at encouraging enterprise adoption of Nokia's Windows Phone 8 devices.