News


Host Integration Server Lives!

Microsoft Host Integration Server, Microsoft's product for connecting Windows servers to mainframes and other so-called "legacy" systems, has seen its marketing budget killed and its development team slashed, yet the product keeps selling. In fact, Microsoft plans to ship an updated version, Host Integration Server 2004, next year.

IBM Guns for SQL Server

IBM on Thursday released a new version of its DB2 database designed to compete with Microsoft SQL Server for the fast-growing cost-sensitive end of the database market.

Two Critical Vulnerabilities in IE

Two critical vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer 5.01, 5.5 and 6.0 could allow code execution. Microsoft released a cumulative patch on Wednesday for Internet Explorer that fixes the flaws.

Microsoft, VeriSign to Collaborate on PKI Platform

Microsoft and VeriSign are working together to deliver what they call a "next-generation public key infrastructure platform" for delivery by the end of the year.

Microsoft's Charney Promises Patch Management Improvements

The patch management problem is in Microsoft's crosshairs. During a TechEd keynote, Microsoft chief security strategist Scott Charney said he has created a patch management working group inside Microsoft. Current projects include a white paper that will lay out the company's patch management strategy and an engineering effort to reduce the company's number of patch installation technologies from the current eight to two by the end of the year.

64-bit Exchange a Possibility for Post-2003 Version

Will Exchange Server 2003 support Windows Server 2003? Seems like a simple question, but with Microsoft's myriad server OS editions, the answer gets complicated. In almost all real-world usage scenarios, the answer is yes.

Exchange 2003 Enters RC1 Testing Stage

DALLAS -- Beating the drum for Exchange Server 2003's eventual launch, Microsoft on Monday at TechEd announced the availability of Release Candidate 1 of the company's flagship messaging server.

Looking Backwards: 3 Security Patches Re-released

Think your organization is up to date on its Microsoft security patches? Then make sure you've reviewed the events of the last week. Since Wednesday evening, Microsoft has re-released three security bulletins for reasons ranging from quality control problems to underestimates of the number of platforms affected by a threat to underestimates of the seriousness of a threat.

Flessner Updates Microsoft Product Roadmap

DALLAS -- Microsoft senior vice president Paul Flessner used his TechEd keynote Monday to update Microsoft's roadmap for its enterprise products for the next four years or so. As part of a comprehensive roadmap, Flessner unveiled several milestones and new items, including Exchange Server 2003 RC1, the imminent RTM of Windows Storage Server 2003, a BizTalk Server 2004 Beta and a huge price drop in the SQL Server Developer Edition.

Microsoft-AOL Settle Netscape Lawsuit

Microsoft will pay AOL-Time Warner $750 million to settle the private antitrust lawsuit involving AOL's Netscape browser, the companies said Thursday afternoon.

Microsoft Cuts Office XP Prices

In a move to make its Office XP products more attractive to retail customers and small businesses, Microsoft cut prices for several suites and individual personal productivity applications on Wednesday.

Microsoft Sweetens Licensing 6.0 Pot

Microsoft this week rolled out changes to the controversial Software Assurance component of Licensing 6.0 in an attempt to make the program more attractive to customers. The changes don't make Software Assurance any cheaper, but Microsoft has thrown in additional services for the same price.

Microsoft Instant Messaging Server Gets Another New Name

The definition of the Microsoft Office System on Tuesday grew to include the forthcoming Microsoft Real-Time Communications Server.

Four New Flaws Found in IIS

Microsoft on Wednesday issued a cumulative patch for Internet Information Services that fixed four newly discovered flaws in the Web server. The most serious problem affects IIS 5.0 and 5.1 and is rated "important" by Microsoft. The Trustworthy Computing-scrubbed IIS 6.0, released as part of Windows Server 2003, is unaffected by any of the flaws.

Analysis: SCO Takes on Linux

The SCO Group (SCO) last week shifted gears in what it describes as an effort to assert its intellectual property (IP) rights, which SCO claims have been illegally incorporated into the open source Linux operating system.

Microsoft Pulls Together Promotional Mobile Admin Pack

Microsoft has assembled a bundle of third-party wireless products for a promotion next month to allow mid-market customers to administer Windows Server 2003 remotely from a handheld device.

Group Reports May Already Record Month for Overt Digital Attacks

Only 20 days in, May 2003 had already broken the record for the most overt digital attacks in one month, according to digital risk assessment firm mi2g.

Microsoft, Network Associates, Trend Micro Launch Alliance

Microsoft is stepping up to the plate a little more on virus response this week with the creation of the Virus Information Alliance, a partnership with Network Associates and Trend Micro.

Visio 2003 Hits Beta Phase

Microsoft released the first public beta this week of its Microsoft Office Visio 2003 business drawing and diagramming software.

Gartner: Database Market Contracted in 2002, SQL Server Grew

New research on the database market from Gartner on Wednesday quantifies in yet another area the case for arguing that 2002 was the worst year yet for IT. But the research also supports another trend -- no matter how bad things got, Microsoft kept growing and churning out profits.