Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications

    Word From Philly: Microsoft Is Big Brother

    By
    Spencer F. Katt
    -
    September 10, 2001
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      His hirsuteness was forwarded an e-mail that a tattler received from the Microsoft Events group thanking him for attending a recent Microsoft .Net Developer Training session in Philadelphia. But the Furball fan was miffed when he noticed an Excel file at the bottom of the message with detailed personal information for the more than 360 folks who attended the event.

      The Kitty examined the Excel file, which contained a mammoth list of names, titles, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses.

      Amusingly, the misfired missive was followed by an e-mail from Microsoft Events that cryptically stated, “We would like to apologize for a Microsoft e-mail that was inadvertently sent to your attention. We are very sorry for any inconvenience this message may have caused.” “I guess thats kinda like an e-mail recall notice,” laughed the Lynx. “Hopefully, such Oops, sorry! notices wont have to be sent to future Passport and HailStorm users.”

      Another friend of the Furry One told the Kitty that some cash-cautious IT departments have started a trend of licensing software on a quarterly basis, instead of signing up for an annual license, the thinking apparently being, “Lets see if this really works before we commit to a full year.” The tipster was reluctant to say which vendors were seeing this new strategy being used by clients. However, the tipster intimated to the Puss that some service-level management providers such as Micromuse and InfoVista have been seeing demand slack off.

      “I wonder if this new try it, fry it or buy it mentality could be the reason,” mused the Mouser.

      A Tabby tattler told El Gato that a rumor has been circulating that cash-strapped content provider Salon.com may be planning a reverse stock split. The beleaguered dot-com has seen its stock price fall from a $15 high in July 1999 to about 40 cents per share last week. Salon recently received $2.5 million in funding from a group of private investors that included John Warnock, retired CEO and co-founder of Adobe.

      A switched-on smooth operator informed the Furball that Cisco may be “end of lifing” its Catalyst 4840G server load balancing switch. Cisco originally came into possession of the switch after acquiring ArrowPoint Communications about 15 months ago. Word is that Cisco may incorporate the technology into another family of switches.

      A recurring item in the Katts rumor mill is that E-Trade might be planning to close its San Francisco office. A spokeswoman for the company laughed when queried by the Kitty on the matter and stated, “No, its not true. Weve heard that one several times, too.” Despite the recent economic slump, the Menlo Park, Calif., online brokerage recently acquired the share-dealing company Dempsey & Co. for $173.5 million and has also launched a Web service aimed at assisting financial advisers.

      The Kitty scoffed when he heard Sony mentioned as a potential suitor in the latest “someones-gonna-buy- Yahoo” rumor. The Furball could only assume that the entertainment company was most likely too strapped for cash to consider such a purchase. “If I remember my HIStorycorrectly,” laughed the Lynx, “they probably havent yet recovered from buying Michael Jacksons contract.”

      Spencer F. Katt
      Spencer F. Katt, the Whiskered Wonder, has been the mascot and tipster extraordinaire for eWEEK and its predecessor print publication PC Week since 1984. The Gadabout Gatto makes the rounds of the high tech centers of the U.S. and beyond in search of news and gossip about the products, companies and people that keep the IT industry in top gear. By day he can often be found padding about the exhibit halls and briefing rooms searching for tips about the latest breakthrough products. By night he haunts the sushi bars and watering holes his ears alert to the merest whisper about a big round of venture capital funding or a blockbuster corporate buyout. The often tart-tongued tabby is always ready to share his own views about the inside stories behind the headlines. 
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.
      Get the Free Newsletter!
      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
      This email address is invalid.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Applications

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Kyndryl’s Nicolas Sekkaki on Handling AI and...

      James Maguire - November 9, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nicolas Sekkaki, Group Practice Leader for Applications, Data and AI at Kyndryl, about how companies can boost both their AI and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×