Nearly three years in the making, SQL Server 2008 R2 is finally on its way. It's due to land in IT shops this May.
Something called R2 doesn't sound that exciting or all that new, but Microsoft often packs a lot of new stuff into these releases. Windows Server 2008 R2, for instance, could have just as easily been called SQL Server 2010.
SQL Server 2008 R2 has some new business intelligence features such as PowerPivot. PowerPivot (can we call it PP?) works with Excel and turns database data into online analytical processing (OLAP) data.
There's way more to this, but I don't have room for an entire treatise. All I can say is that Microsoft thinks PowerPivot is so important, it actually had its own code name: Project Gemini.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 25, 20101 comments
Microsoft legal eagle Brad Smith is asking Washington to pass laws and revise existing ones to make sure our clouds are safe, secure and private.
There are a number of computer-related laws on the books, but all were written when the predominant style of computing involved hard drives and local processing.
Smith is looking for action in three areas. First, he wants cloud providers to be able to hunt down hackers, something I'm clearly in favor of. Next, he wants information to be as private as possible, in part by making cloud providers disclose privacy policies clearly. Finally, he wants our security acts to take clouds into full consideration.
These are all noble goals. I hope there's real legislation that addresses IT concerns, especially relating to the privacy of corporate data. What laws would you pass? Lobby me at [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on January 25, 20101 comments
The hole in IE that Chinese hackers used to hack Google is now fixed.
This particular exploit involves the hacker directing users to malicious Web sites where the real hacking work is done. A combination of bad publicity and a real security threat had Microsoft security programmers working overtime on a patch that covers IE 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Despite the fix for older versions of IE, Microsoft still recommends upgrading to IE 8, as well as Windows 7.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 22, 20102 comments
It took nearly two decades, but a vulnerability in the Windows kernel that affects nearly all versions has been found.
While it took 17 years to uncover, it also took Microsoft over six months to issue an alert once the vulnerability was known. Fortunately, this elevation-of-privilege vulnerability requires the hacker to have network credentials and local access.
The hole, which is in all 32-bit versions of Windows from NT to present day, should be fixed next month.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 22, 20102 comments
I admit it: I'm a huge fan of Sun Microsystems. I like companies with creativity and guts. Sun is no me-too company.
But it soon may no longer be a company at all as the European Union this week approved Oracle's proposed $7.4 billion buyout. It's such a done deal that Larry Ellison is planning a Hugo Chavez-style five-hour company and press event next week on the matter.
I hate when innovative companies get bought. We no longer have an independent Lotus, Compaq or Digital Equipment Corp. Fortunately, there are new companies cropping up all the time. But the sad truth is that in IT, real power is concentrated in the hands of a few.
What's your favorite defunct computer company? Tell us all by writing [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on January 22, 201019 comments
If the world ran on Firefox or Chrome, Google might still be committed to censoring in China. But with more than half of the market still in IE, hackers took advantage of a bug in the Microsoft browser to hack into the Gmail accounts of Chinese activists.
That's what prompted the Sino-Google conflict and led to Google threatening to take away the special version of its software that censors out anti-government content.
Microsoft admits to the flaw and has posted an advisory, which reported the bug affects nearly all versions of IE 6. With a patch still in the works, Microsoft at first advised setting IE security on "high." Upon further investigation, Redmond realized only IE 6 was vulnerable, and now advises upgrading to a more recent browser.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 20, 20102 comments
Google and Microsoft agree on less than Scott Brown and Martha Coakley, so it's no surprise they differ on clouds. Both companies' views are clearly informed by their pasts. In the case of Microsoft, it's always sold software meant to be installed on hard drives with files stored locally. Google is all about the Internet.
All this came out in a debate last week at the New York Technology Council. As you might expect, Google feels that everything can and should be done in the cloud -- with few or no exceptions. Microsoft believes in the cloud, in part because that's what the market believes and in part because it's the natural evolution of software. But Redmond feels that while some stuff should be in the cloud, there's also a critical role for old-style clients. Redmond sees a hybrid approach where data can be split between the two models and even synchronized.
Critics see self-interest powering both attitudes. Microsoft needs to protect its old base of products, while Google wants everything on the 'Net so it can index and sell ads against all this data.
Which company would you put your money on? Send your thoughts, but not your dollars, to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on January 20, 20102 comments
Earlier this week, I reported that Panasonic was moving a huge number of users from Exchange to LotusLive, a cloud-based e-mail and collaboration suite. Some of you wrote me, arguing that Panasonic was already a Notes shop and had just a handful of Exchange users. And you were right!
Now the plot thickens as Microsoft takes issue with IBM's assertions. Microsoft agrees with Redmond Report readers that only 4 percent of Panasonic users are on Exchange. IBM, wanting this to be a big win, claims that percentage is higher.
Microsoft also argues the LotusLive migration is simply part of an already existing contract, and is nothing new. In the same breath, Microsoft blasts IBM for its declining market share. Aren't these companies a little old for a cat fight?
Posted by Doug Barney on January 20, 20101 comments
Google is apparently ready to give up on the world's most populated country all because it censors the Internet.
It seems disingenuous of Google to threaten to leave China when Google invades privacy and has for years allowed China to dictate what searchers see on their Google results pages. In fact, Google built a special version of its search engine for China that "self-censors."
That engine was built in 2006, and ever since Google has been apparently happy with China. That is, until a Chinese group tried to hack Gmail to see what dissidents were up to. That has Google so peeved it may just walk away from the country.
While I do think taking a stand on this issue when Google is on the wrong side of so many others is disingenuous (and thank you, Eric Schmidt, for giving me an opportunity to use a really big word), I do find the Google move exciting. Walking away from a billion potential users takes guts.
Meanwhile, Microsoft says it will stay in China and respect Chinese laws. Of course, Hotmail didn't get hacked so there's no real impetus.
I'm not sure that a U.S. company should impose U.S. values on a foreign nation. On the other hand, we may not want to allow our technology to suppress others. What's your take? Fire up Gmail, Hotmail or whatever mail and send your thoughts to [email protected].
[This post previously said that Google's "self-censoring" Chinese-version search engine was built in 1996. The correct year is 2006. --Ed.]
Posted by Doug Barney on January 18, 20109 comments
Massive Exchange shop Panasonic is giving the Microsoft e-mail platform the boot, not just switching vendors but fundamentally changing the way its e-mail is handled.
LotusLive offers a service-based approach to mail, Web conferencing, social networking and collaboration.
This deal ain't no small potatoes. Panasonic could have over 300,000 users on LotusLive in the coming years. Bet the Microsoft rep who handles Panasonic mail didn't have a very merry Christmas!
There'll probably be more Lotus news next week when the longstanding Lotusphere conference takes place.
Do you use a non-Microsoft e-mail system, and if so, why? Shoot your experiences to [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on January 18, 20107 comments
Microsoft gets a bad rap for security, some of it deserved, some not. Meanwhile, other vendors operate with un-blackened eyes even though their software has more holes than an old Alaskan fishing net.
Last week, we reported that Oracle sent out two dozen patches in its latest round. Now, we find out that Adobe is patching many versions of Adobe Reader.
This doesn't sound like a big deal 'til you realize that most Macs and PCs run Reader to view PDFs. That's a lot of vulnerable machines.
Posted by Doug Barney on January 18, 20102 comments
As we discussed Wednesday, software licensing is a tricky thing. The licenses are written by lawyers in consultation with software folks. Can you say complex?
One of the hidden secrets of Windows and Office licenses is they don't allow for machines to be rented. Instead, thousands of Internet cafes, rental companies and gaming centers around the world have paid a subscription fee -- or pretended nothing's wrong.
Microsoft has a fix: Pay a one-time fee, and now your PC can be rented out to whomever. This is far simpler than shelling out subscription fees every month. The price for the Windows rental option is $23, and Office starts at $45. And no, you don't need to buy extra insurance!
Posted by Doug Barney on January 15, 20100 comments