News


Microsoft Reacts to Security Stings with Tools, Promises, and Mea Culpas

NEW ORLEANS -- Stung by relentless viruses and hacker attacks, and a patch cycle that is spinning completely out of control, Microsoft on Thursday unveiled a wide-ranging plan to mitigate, but unfortunately not eliminate, the crisis.

Groups Release Consensus List of Security Vulnerabilities

The SANS Institute along with government agencies from the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada on Wednesday released a list of the Top 20 computer security vulnerabilities. IIS is the top red flag for Windows.

Intel Releases New Xeons

Intel shipped new Xeon processors for dual-processor servers and workstations.

Microsoft, Sun Reach Agreement on JVM Support

Microsoft will offer technical support for its Java Virtual Machine until October 2004 under a legal agreement announced Tuesday with Sun Microsystems.

Special Bulletin Released for IE Flaws

Microsoft broke from usual practice on Friday in sending out a critical security bulletin correcting critical flaws in Internet Explorer that allow an attacker to take control of a user's computer.

Critics Pile on Microsoft Over Security

Critics continue to pile on Microsoft after damaging worms and viruses slammed Windows operating systems worldwide in August and September.

SQL Server: Ready for the Big Time?

SQL Server is proving itself as scalable as any database on benchmarks, but now Microsoft needs to demonstrate that customers are actually using SQL in the kinds of massive environments that Oracle is known for.

Windows Small Business Server Commercially Available Next Week

In a remarkably quick turnaround, Microsoft announced Wednesday that Windows Small Business Server 2003 will be commercially available next week.

SQL's Reporting Services: A Market Bombshell Like OLAP?

Microsoft plans to juice up SQL Server 2000 later this year with reporting services. This business intelligence bombshell is already shaking up the market, probably even playing some minor role in helping prod Business Objects acquisition of Crystal Decisions. How else will this move affect the BI market?

Aging Challenger: SQL 2000 Will Be 4 When Yukon Ships

SQL Server 2000 is three years old, and it will be at least a year before Microsoft replaces the aging database platform with its next version, code-named "Yukon." Business is booming for SQL Server, but does the aging database have enough to offer to hold off Oracle and DB2 until its Yukon reinforcement arrives?

Microsoft Hopes New Features Will Warm Up End-Users to Yukon

Yukon will be the biggest release of SQL Server since Microsoft overhauled the database in 1998. Will the new features and database engine overhauls be worth the wait?

IBM Expands Outsourcing Offering

IBM this week expanded a hosted offering to include Windows and other platforms.

Microsoft Finishes Windows SharePoint Services Code

Microsoft on Wednesday delivered Windows SharePoint Services, one of its most highly promoted free add-ons for the Windows Server 2003 operating system.

Reuters Financial Service to Connect to Microsoft Messenger Network

Reuters and Microsoft on Tuesday announced a deal that is one of the first concrete examples of the way that firms can use the promise of instant messaging technology to enhance their business-to-consumer offerings.

Microsoft Releases Consumer Rev of Windows XP

Microsoft on Tuesday launched the second edition of its consumer-oriented Windows XP Media Center Edition.

Microsoft, Users Wrangle Over Changes to SUS

Depending on who’s telling the story, Microsoft Corp. recently introduced changes to its Software Update Services with or without giving users adequate prior notice.

Report: Microsoft Monopoly Puts Computing at Risk

Microsoft's virtual monopoly on the desktop puts networks and computing at large, at grave risk, according to authors of a paper on security.

The 64-bit Question: Microsoft Bets on Both Camps

On April 24, 2002, Microsoft promised the world it would build a desktop version of Windows to run on 64-bit AMD processors. Nearly a year and a half later, Microsoft has delivered beta versions of both Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition designed to exploit the speedy AMD processor.

Netcraft: Windows 2003 Sites Doubled Since July

The number of active Windows Server 2003 sites more than doubled since July, according to the U.K.-based Internet services and research firm Netcraft. One in 20 of those Windows Server 2003 sites migrated from Linux, Netcraft found.

Analysis: Licensing Terms Too Light on Carrot, Too Heavy on Stick

Columnist Joe McKendrick writes that there’s nothing remarkable about Microsoft’s heavy-handedness on licensing. Many vendors are pushy with their licensing terms. IBM has a long history of locking customers into upgrade paths. Oracle’s licensing is just as heavy-handed, and even more expensive, than Microsoft's. Even in the carefree Linux world, coercion seems to be the rule.