Microsoft's Service Pack Shuffle

We're as excited as you are about Windows Server 2008. Seriously. After Vista failed to impress last year, the buzz around the star of this year's crop of new Microsoft products has grown steadily.

And why not? Windows Server 2008 has blockbuster sales potential for partners and already has customers' attention. And now, it has an added bonus: a built-in service pack.

Oh, yes! Not only will you get Windows Server 2008 when it ships, you'll get its first service pack built right in! But wait, there's more. Actually, there isn't anything more -- we just got a little caught up in the old-school TV ad script. Seriously, though, when is a service pack not a service pack? When it ships with a brand-new product. What, did Microsoft screw up Windows Server 2008 so much that it's having to ship a service pack as soon as the product debuts?

Probably not. In fact, Microsoft says that since Windows Server 2008 has the same code base as Vista, and since Vista is at the SP1 stage, it makes sense for Windows Server 2008 to be at the SP1 stage, too.

Whatever, Redmond. We all know that customers are often leery of new Microsoft products and tend to wait for service packs before investing in them. Microsoft isn't fooling anybody here; by shipping SP1 right off the bat, Redmond is trying to get customers to sign up for Windows Server 2008 without hesitation.

But why this product? And why now? Unlike Vista, which came out to a reception flatter than the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, Windows Server 2008 has customers both buzzing and budgeting. Wethinks, in this case, that Microsoft doth indeed protest too much. But we're still excited.

What's your take on SP1 shipping with Windows Server 2008? How much will it help you sell the product? Sound off at [email protected].

Posted by Lee Pender on February 21, 20080 comments


Tech Data To Offer VMware Wares

The big distributor is keeping it real in the virtual world by offering to VARs the most popular virtualization apps on the market today.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 21, 20080 comments


Microsoft Repackages Servers for SMBs

Just in care you were confused by Microsoft's server offerings for small and medium-sized businesses (does anybody not know what "SMB" means?), Redmond is here to make things clear. (Yes, that last part was supposed to rhyme.)

Microsoft announced today the Windows Essential Server Solutions family, which we could call "WESS" but won't. The concept behind this is simple. There are two versions of the aptly named Windows Small Business Server 2008 -- Premium and Standard -- for small businesses, and two versions (yup, Premium and Standard again) of the Windows Essential Business Sever 2008 aimed at midsize companies.

By the way, yes, you used to know Small Business Server as Cougar. Along with Longhorn, Cougar was apparently part of Microsoft's server-codename tribute to the mascots of the extinct Southwest Conference. We fully expect something to be codenamed Horned Frog any day now -- in fact, we demand it.

Anyway, there's a graduation from SBS Standard through EBS premium: SBS Standard includes one server, SBS Premium two, EBS Standard three and EBS Premium -- anybody following the pattern here? -- four. Starting with SBS Premium, IT folks can run the second server virtually on the first one and then, if they'd like, transfer it later to a physical box at no extra cost and with no licensing hassles. And, yes, the idea is for a growing company to move from SBS to EBS at some point.

All of these offerings are built in Windows Server 2008. There's other stuff, too, such as a Forefront Security for Exchange bundle and SaaS-like connection to Office Live Small Business.

The new servers are much easier to set up and install than previous models, said Steven VanRoekel, senior director of the Windows Server Solutions Team at Microsoft, who chatted with RCPU this week. "Partner models are shifting to more downstream stuff and less about the initial install. They've told us they don't want to do that stuff anymore," VanRoekel said.

Microsoft is going to kick off some marketing around the new server family soon, using the tagline "Multiply Your Power," which sounds like something from an '80s action cartoon or an old videogame. As such, we at RCPU heartily approve.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 20, 20080 comments


Symantec, CA Release Recovery Apps

Symantec's Backup Exec 12 is on the market; the company calls it the first backup application certified for Windows Server 2008. Backup Exec System Recovery 8 is out there, too.

The security giant has also popped out Symantec Solutions for Windows, which has a strong SaaS flavor. And, while we're at it, Symantec has SaaS versions of Online Backup and Online Storage for Backup Exec available, as well. In other news, Symantec's press release writer is recovering nicely from a recent bout of carpal tunnel syndrome.

And, in case you missed it, Symantec rival CA released new recovery management software earlier this month. And you might have missed it, as this is the first time this news has appeared in RCPU.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 20, 20080 comments


Survey Says Vista Not Cracking the Enterprise

OK, we know. It's right up there with the news that the earth is round and the shocker that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. Still, if you were curious, a new survey "reveals" that half of all IT managers have no plans to deploy Vista.

Well, they have no plans to deploy Vista "at this time," according to the survey. Don't let that bit on the end slip away. What happens when a company undergoes a hardware refresh and can't get anything but Vista for new machines? As we've suggested before in RCP, that's when Vista might finally make a break for enterprise pay dirt.

Or, if this survey is any indication, a hardware refresh might be the moment when mundane office workers in drab cubicles (hey, that description sounds familiar) might suddenly become hipsters with Apple logos on their machines. Does that mean that we'll also have to listen to obscure pop bands and stop watching big-budget movies in favor of indie "films"? The cultural ramifications could be massive. To the copy and paste from the RCPmag.com story:

"The survey asked participants if they had 'considered the possibility of deploying any non-Windows operating system as an alternative to adopting Windows Vista.' It turned out that 44 percent of participants said that they were indeed considering a non-Windows alternative....The Windows OS replacement that respondents mentioned most was Macintosh (28 percent), followed by Red Hat Linux (23 percent), SuSE Linux (18 percent), Ubuntu (18 percent), other Linux (nine percent) and not sure (four percent)."

Somewhere, Steve Jobs is laughing with delight. OK, so maybe there's some wishful thinking going on here in IT world -- it seems unlikely that companies would jettison major investments in Microsoft simply out of disdain for Vista -- but the survey numbers, for what they're worth, confirm that Vista still looks like a dud in the enterprise. If it does ever make a serious dent there -- and we still suspect that it will -- it'll be more because IT folks have little choice but to deploy it than because they actually like it.

A Mac in every cubicle? Really? Share your vision of this brave new world at [email protected].

Posted by Lee Pender on February 20, 20082 comments


Redmond Shuffles Web Execs...Again

"Hmm, maybe if we move this person into this job (and, um, buy Yahoo), we'll finally get this Web thing right..."

-- Overheard (not really, of course) in a Redmond board room around the time this decision was made.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 19, 20080 comments


Microsoft To Give Away Development Tools

To high school and college kids, that is. So, grow a bad teenage mustache, brush up on the parlance of today's youth (we think we heard some of it in the movie Juno, but we can't be sure), and see if you, too, can pass for a high school kid and score some free stuff. Or not.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 19, 20081 comments


Microsoft To Fight Dirty with Yahoo

Hi, reader, what's happening? Like Lumbergh from Office Space, we're playing a little catch-up today, not because we've "lost some people" but because we took the very un-Lumbergh step of not working over the long weekend. As a result, we're writing Tuesday's newsletter on Tuesday and not the day before. So, it'll be short and sweet today.

Convinced that his company -- hey, isn't this guy about to retire? -- offered a fair price for Yahoo, Bill Gates and his charges at Microsoft are launching a fight to gain control of Yahoo's board and grab hold of the company one way or the other.

Yahoo's Chinese partner, meanwhile, might try to block the takeover, which could, apparently, force Microsoft to hand over more money. Ancient Chinese secret, huh? Well, maybe not. But, thanks to Wikipedia for giving us Calgon jingles in about 15 languages. How do we love thee, Internet? We couldn't possibly count the ways.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 19, 20080 comments


Sweet, Sweet Reader Feedback

Sweeter than discount chocolates the day after Valentine's Day, it's RCPU reader feedback! We're hoping that you're either savoring a post V-Day glow or at least capably explaining to the wife why you came home empty-handed again this year. (We're big fans of, "Valentine's Day is just a retail scam! I love you every day!" Eventually, that's got to work. Oh, and ladies -- we're guessing that 90 percent of our readers are married guys, so please excuse the one-sided attempts at humor.)

Anyway, Jeff opens with a note chiding us for being bummed about the Patriots' Super Bowl loss:

"In regard to this line: 'Remember, the Patriots were supposed to win the Super Bowl by a couple of touchdowns (and, no, we're not over it yet here in Boston), and we all saw how that turned out.'

"Perhaps Microsoft is cheating. Remember, the Rams were supposed to win Super Bowl 36 by a couple of touchdowns (and, no, we're not over it yet here in St. Louis), and we all saw how that turned out.

"I just had to say it."

If you think people in St. Louis are upset, imagine how fans in Los Angeles feel about the Rams. But, seriously, Jeff -- cheating? Microsoft? Bill Belichick and the Patriots? Surely not. They wouldn't do that, would they? Why, that's like suggesting that Roger Clemens might have used steroids...

RCPU also got a couple e-mails this week on Vista SP1. Apparently, somebody out there is waiting for it. Tom writes:

"I'm already running Vista and having no real issues. SP1 could, of course, do nothing but help."

Good to hear, Tom. It's nice to get some positive Vista feedback. Serial e-mailer Mike, we're afraid, isn't so enthusiastic:

"Instead of Vista SP1, why don't they name it Vista SP-ME, or Vista ME+8? That way they could package two of their OS debacles together."

Mike, we're thinking that you might have hit on the greatest...idea...ever. Instead of a Greatest Hits compilation, we're thinking of coming up with a list of Microsoft's greatest misses. Stay tuned.

That's all for now. Thanks to those who took time to write. Have something to add? Add it at [email protected].

Posted by Lee Pender on February 15, 20080 comments


Microsoft-Yahoo Update

How much does Yahoo not want to become part of Microsoft? So much that the company is apparently running toward Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. for safety.

Meanwhile, Yahoo's staying busy. CEO Jerry Yang is trying to explain to shareholders why his company -- their company, really -- rejected Microsoft's first overture. And Yahoo's still trying to run a business here, doing what companies do: buying other companies and laying people off.

Microsoft investors, some of them anyway, are now voicing their displeasure over Redmond's pursuit of Yahoo. But, the experts -- who, remember, know not much more than we do -- say that a Microsoft-Yahoo deal is still probable.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 15, 20080 comments


Azyxxi Gives Way to Amalga

Microsoft has renamed its health care offering for the enterprise. Not that the new name is really that much better.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 15, 20080 comments


If You Haven't Patched...Patch!

If you haven't run Microsoft's massive haul of patches from this Patch Tuesday, you might want to go ahead and do that, experts say.

Posted by Lee Pender on February 15, 20080 comments