Microsoft Postpones Consumer Vista Release to Early 2007
The world will have to wait a little longer for the next version
of Microsoft's flagship Windows operating system. The company
will
postpone
the consumer release of Windows Vista -- the first major operating-system
upgrade since Windows XP debuted in 2001 -- until January 2007,
company officials announced this week. Microsoft initially planned
to release Vista sometime in the fall of 2006, but said it needs
more time to finish new security enhancements.
Microsoft expects to make Vista available to businesses in November,
but the delayed release to consumers is bad news for Microsoft partners
who'd hoped the new operating system would boost holiday sales.
If you're looking for more information on the implications of Vista,
check out "Windows
Vista and IE7--The Implications for IT," a special report
from our sister publication ENTmag.com that analyzes the technologies'
new features.
Deutsche Telekom and Microsoft To Offer Internet
TV in Germany
Deutsche Telekom AG and Microsoft have formed an alliance
to provide Internet television services to subscribers in Germany
this year, the companies said this week. The service, based on the
Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform, will offer regular
TV programming, digital video recording, interactive TV and video
on demand. Deutsche Telekom hopes to have 1 million Internet TV
subscribers by 2008.
Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment &
Devices Division, talks about Internet Protocol television and other
aspects of what Microsoft calls "the digital lifestyle"
in this PressPass
Q&A.
And Speaking of Digital Lifestyles...
Bill Gates has been chatting up the concepts of "digital lifestyle"
and "digital work style." But what do these terms really
mean -- especially for partners? Redmond Channel Partner
explores that question in our April feature "Defining
the Digital Decade."
| Subscribe
to Redmond
Partner Update |
This
column was originally published in our weekly
Redmond Partner Update newsletter. To subscribe,
click here. |
|
|
Power to the People: Microsoft's Plan for
"People-Ready Businesses"
Microsoft recently unveiled
another sweeping vision, with officials describing how improved
integration of its key products can drive innovation while streamlining
operations. CEO Steve Ballmer said the "People-Ready Business"
approach, based on $20 billion in R&D, will help businesses
provide employees with the tools they need to collaborate globally,
serve customers quickly and easily reinvent processes as needed.
Watch for an in-depth examination of the "People-Ready Business"
initiative in an upcoming issue of Redmond Channel Partner
magazine.
Cisco Massively Restructuring Channel Partner
Program
Networking giant Cisco Systems has announced
what it calls the industry's first "offer-based"
channel strategy, which includes three new programs designed to
reward partners who deliver global resale, outsourcing and managed
network service offerings to customers.
Posted by Anne Stuart on March 22, 2006