News


Precise Updates StorageCentral SRM

Precise Software Solutions' storage resource management software was updated this week to support Network Appliance filers, greatly increasing Precise's access to the network-attached storage market.

IE Patch Flawed

Microsoft put out a new version of a cumulative security patch for Internet Explorer originally released last week due to problems with users being locked out of some subscription-based Web sites and their MSN e-mail. Microsoft said the problem primarily affected consumers and the company emphasized that the problem had nothing to do with the underlying security issue addressed by the patch.

Dell Reports Fourth-Quarter Growth

Dell Computer Corp. turned in a 32 percent improvement in profits for the quarter ended Jan. 31, the company reported Thursday afternoon. Dell saw net income of $603 million on revenues of about $9.7 billion for the quarter.

Yukon to Get Reporting Services

The ongoing effort to expand the SQL Server database into a broader business intelligence and applications platform continues as Microsoft adds enterprise reporting services to its flagship database.

Visual Studio Gets Preview

Microsoft’s latest suite of development tools will provide optimized database connectivity, an enhanced version of the .NET Framework, and better mobile application programming capabilities. But even Microsoft called the new release “incremental.” At the same time the company announced a timeline for its next two Visual Studio releases.

Office Newcomer XDocs Renamed InfoPath

Microsoft this week gave a formal name to an upcoming XML client that will be an addition to the Microsoft Office family. The product, which had been code-named XDocs, will launch as InfoPath in the middle of this year, Microsoft said.

Microsoft Reposts Windows NT Patch

Microsoft posted a fixed version of a botched security patch from December that had been causing Windows NT 4.0 systems to crash.

Managing Expectations on Trustworthy Computing

SQL Slammer hit one of Microsoft's flagship enterprise products just as the company was patting itself on the back for a year's worth of Trustworthy Computing progress. The damaging worm highlights both the strengths -- and the weaknesses -- of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing effort.

Datacenter Licensing Tweaked

The Windows Server 2003 version of Datacenter Server will have a couple of licensing changes -- a 128-processor SKU and Datacenter-only downgrade rights.

VMWare Refreshes Virtual Machine Offering for Servers

VMWare this week released a new version of its virtual machine offering for servers, adding support for Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 Datacenter Server and 32-processor, Intel-based servers from Unisys.

Microsoft Posts 2 Security Bulletins

Microsoft posted a "critical" cumulative patch fixing two new vulnerabilities affecting Internet Explorer. Microsoft also put out a separate patch for an "important" security problem in Windows XP.

Microsoft, Lotus Chase Service Provider Messaging Business

In the space of a week, Microsoft and IBM’s Lotus software group introduced versions of their enterprise messaging and groupware platforms designed to support high-volume service provider and ISP implementations.

UltraBac Refreshes Backup Software

UltraBac Software has released the second installment of planned incremental upgrades to its flagship UltraBac 7.0 backup and disaster recovery software. The new version, 7.0.3, builds in encryption, compression, improved back-up granularity and administrative enhancements.

Windows Datacenter Program Overhauled

Microsoft's Windows Datacenter Server has been about more than technology features since its launch in late 2000. Fittingly, the tightly controlled support program that makes Datacenter Server so different from other Microsoft server operating systems is getting a complete overhaul for the Windows Server 2003 launch. Microsoft unveiled details of the program Wednesday, including the new name, the "Windows Datacenter High Availability Program."

Study: Linux Server Roles Expanding

A new study by IDC finds that enterprise Linux server usage is moving beyond its traditional bastion of Web serving and moving into Unix and Windows strongholds such as application serving and database serving.

AMD Releases New High-end Athlon

AMD refreshed its line of multiprocessor chips for servers and workstations this week with the introduction of the AMD Athlon MP 2600+.

Appeals Court Stays Java Ruling

A federal appeals court on Monday stayed a district court judge's order for Microsoft to distribute Sun's Java Runtime Environment with Windows XP.

Microsoft Withdraws Security Patch

Microsoft pulled the Windows NT 4.0 version of a security patch it issued in December because the patch was causing systems to crash.

AMD to Launch Opteron in April

Chipmaker AMD will launch its 64-bit server and workstation processor, the AMD Opteron, on April 22 in New York City. The launch date synchronizes the alternative to Intel's 64-bit Itanium family with the first general release of a 64-bit Windows server operating system.

Microsoft Agrees to Beef up Privacy Protections in Passport

Microsoft .NET Passport users will get better privacy protection, due to an agreement between European Union regulators and Microsoft.