Peter Galli

Linux is becoming a credible threat to Windows on the desktop, and will grow over the next year as its distributors continue to work hard at making it an enterprise-class offering, research group Forrester predicts. “Will desktop managers continue down the path of standardization on the Windows platform, and will Linux not exist on enterprise […]

BARCELONA—Microsoft used its TechEd IT Forum conference here to announce the general availability of its new Forefront Server Security Management Console, a centralized, Web-based management solution for onsite or remote administration of its messaging and collaboration security solutions. “Customers can use the console to centrally manage and configure servers remotely, automatically download and distribute signature […]

BARCELONA—Microsoft is releasing the 2007 Office Security Guide, which gives IT administrators guidance for configuring the settings in Microsoft Office 2007 so that it can be deployed and managed more securely. The guide, which Microsoft says provides prescriptive Group Policy setting and security configuration recommendations to strengthen the security of computers running the 2007 Microsoft […]

BARCELONA—Microsoft and the Daisy Consortium are working together to create a text-to-audio translation plug-in for visually impaired users of Open XML-enabled Microsoft Word documents. The resulting “Save as Daisy”(Digital Accessible Information System) plug-in for Microsoft Word will make it possible to convert Open XML-based documents into Daisy XML, a standard for reading and publishing navigable […]

BARCELONA—Microsofts Network Access Protection platform is being extended to Linux and the Mac in heterogeneous network environments through third-party products. The Redmond, Wash. software maker announced at its TechEd IT Forum, here on Nov. 13, that UNETsystem will release Linux and Macintosh versions of its Anyclick for NAP (Network Access Protection) product next year. Avenda […]

BARCELONA—The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack for Software Assurance has been the fastest selling Version 1 product in the history of Microsofts volume license program, with more than 3 million licenses sold over the past nine months. The product is only available to those customers who have a Windows Client volume license with Software Assurance, a […]

BARCELONA—Microsoft will release eight versions of Windows Server 2008 when it ships in late February 2008, three of which will include its hypervisor technology, Hyper-V. The Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter versions of Windows Server 2008 will be offered with and without Hyper-V, both in 32-bit and 64-bit versions, Brad Anderson, general manager for the Windows […]

BARCELONA, Spain—Microsoft has released the third Community Technology Preview for SQL Server 2008, which includes new functionality and brings compatibility with Windows Vista and the upcoming Windows Server 2008. “SQL Server 2008 running on Windows Server 2008 provides customers with trusted and secure access, high availability through revamped failover clustering, and simplified scripting through Powershell,” […]

As the one-year anniversary of the business availability of Windows Vista approaches, many corporations are still holding off on upgrading to the new operating system. The most commonly cited reasons are the cost of replacing the new hardware required to run Vista optimally, some of the software used by those businesses is still not compatible […]

Microsoft and Novell are using the one-year anniversary of their interoperability agreement to tout the increasing number of enterprise customers who are signing up because of the benefits offered through the collaboration. The two companies announced Nov. 8 that Microsoft will give 30 new customers three-year priority support subscriptions for SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from […]

Microsoft is officially naming the server solution it has been developing for the midsize business market Windows Essential Business Server, which replaces the code name “Centro.” Windows Essential Business Server is an integrated server infrastructure solution that includes Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2007, Forefront Security for Exchange, System Center Essentials, the next version of […]

Microsoft is ratcheting up its enterprise search play with a new offering, Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express, which will be made available as a free download. “This is essentially a search server designed to take enterprise-class search capabilities and bring those to businesses of all sizes,” Jared Spataro, group product manager for enterprise search at […]