Microsoft promises new software architecture
Ray Ozzie, Bill Gates' successor as chief architect at Microsoft, gave the keynote address at Microsoft's Mix Conference in Las Vegas. Ozzie explained that online advertising will play a crucial role in Microsoft's web strategy. While he did not rule out paid subscriptions for special software services, Microsoft's Chief Software Architect did say that the company would mainly finance its web investments from advertising. This, he said, is one of the main reasons why Microsoft is working so hard to take over Yahoo. He did not, however, wish to comment on the tug-of-war that has resulted from Microsoft's attempt to take over the search engine and media provider.
When he addresses the Mix audience on Thursday, CEO Steve Ballmer is expected to provide more details on such issues, especially now that Yahoo plans to fend off a hostile takeover by restructuring its supervisory board. Yahoo, number two on the online advertising market, is also reported to be negotiating with AOL, Disney, and News Corp. about possible holdings as alternatives. In February, Microsoft offered Yahoo nearly 45 billion dollars, which the company declined.
Ozzie focused more on Microsoft's plans to restructure its software portfolio to get more users to switch to Windows Live and other services. He explained that the entire software portfolio would be redesigned to provide greater symmetry between locally installed software, SaaS architectures, and Web services. Windows Live Workspace, which enables Internet-based access and storage of office documents, is to become the centerpiece for individual users of productivity applications. In contrast, the Sharepoint Server content management system will be provided for corporate users. Since the beginning of the week, Microsoft has been offering a web-based version of SharePoint Server that is not installed on corporate servers, but accessed via the web from Microsoft. Such services were also launched simultaneously for the exchange server e-mail software and the SQL Server database system. These services are reserved for a select group of users as beta versions at the moment.
Ozzie's keynote address climaxed with a demonstration of Silverlight 2 and Internet Explorer 8, both of which are available to all users for downloading as a public beta test. Expression Studio 2, Visual Studio 2008 and ASP.net MVC Preview are available for both of these programs as new developer tools.
IE 8 focuses mainly on interoperability with Firefox and Safari. Judging from what we have seen already, Microsoft seems to have done quite a bit of work. Special functions for the grouping and bookmarking of related websites provide some interesting ways to find bookmarked documents and preview updates of entire groups.
Silverlight 2 has an impressive new zoom function for animated websites and videos. Web developers also have a new set of tools to combine multiple images in one view, from where users can then zoom in on details. There is also a fast rewind and replay function for live videos, which was demonstrated on NBC's website for the Olympics. In a procedure called "adaptive streaming", videos automatically adjust to the conditions of the network connection and the target computer to provide the best playback quality for each user.
Silverlight is already available on mobile operating systems. A representative of Nokia demonstrated Silverlight videos on an S60 Symbian cell phone. Web developers can thus write software for PCs and mobile systems in the same programming environment.
Microsoft launches virtualization software
Software giant Microsoft Corp. looks to overwhelm another competitor's nascent technology on Wednesday with the release of an enterprise server product that brings something called "virtualization" to the forefront of the IT industry.
In Toronto to announce Microsoft's largest enterprise software launch yet, chief operating officer Kevin Turner said the company developed its Windows Server 2008 software after witnessing how strong the demand was from the industry for virtualization tools.
Normally, chipsets residing in powerful computer servers only use 15% or less of their capacity, but virtualization software emulates the machine's hardware and makes it possible to run multiple operating systems without the need for additional equipment.
The benefits for IT departments are staggering. Instead of using eight machines to do one job, it can be done by only one, saving companies millions in IT expenditures, maintenance and energy costs.
"We want to help our customers save time and money," said Mr. Turner in an interview. "The ability to spend less time on maintenance and more time on creating innovative things to the marketplace ... the way to do that is to allow people to maximize their resources."
However, Microsoft is just getting in now and it does face established competition. The current virtualization market leader is Palo Alto, Calif.-based VMware Inc., which already has about 85% of the market after popularizing the idea that you could efficiently use all your computers processing power.
While it's not first to the game, Microsoft's foray into the realm of virtualization is well timed. Only 10% of the potential market is already using the software and its value is expected to double from US$6.5-billion to US$11-billion by 2010, according to data from research firm Gartner Inc.
Yet Microsoft won't make an immediate splash on the market, said Drue Reeves, a vice-president research director with IT analyst firm Burton Group.
"In the short term, I don't think it's going to have an effect on VMware's [business]," said Mr. Reeves, "But long term, it's a different story.
"As Microsoft ties their applications to its operating system ... that allows them to capture a better portion of the market."
VMware is certainly not taking Microsoft's announcement lying down and is even taking a page from the software giant's playbook. The company announced agreements with Hewlett-Packard Co., Dell Inc., International Business Machines Corp. and Fujitsu Siemens Computers to distribute their servers with VMware software already installed -- a tactic that Microsoft has perfected in ensuring its operating system is run on most of the world's computers.
"Microsoft is a serious and powerful competitor, but we're doing a lot of things to level the playing field," said Bogomil Balkansky, senior director of product marketing at VMware in an interview. "We do have the better technology and product-wise, we're years ahead of Microsoft."
Microsoft plans to sell its latest Windows Server product for about one-third less than what VMware's software costs. But customers will still need to spend a bit of time testing both software offerings before deciding which to use for their IT needs, added Mr. Reeves.
Microsoft is measured to buy Yahoo for 44,6 billion dollars
Corporation Microsoft has suggested to get for 44,6 billion dollars of one of leaders the Internet-search company Yahoo. Decision Microsoft is caused by necessity to make a competition of company Google on which share it is necessary more than 60 % of search inquiries on the Internet. Search service Yahoo 13 % of users, and Microsoft - use almost only 2,9 %.
For each action Yahoo president Microsoft Steve Balmer has offered 31 dollar that exceeds market cost of securities popular the Internet-portal on 62 %. Steve Balmera's offer promoted growth of the price of actions Yahoo in one and a half time, informs АР.
Bill Gates's company has suggested shareholders Yahoo to exchange the actions either for cash, or on actions Microsoft. In case of the consent the Internet-giant, half of sum of the transaction half - cash will be paid by actions, and.
Experts in the field of the Internet-marketing consider that tandem Microsoft-Yahoo " basically can become competitor Google in the given segment of the market (search systems), however on it greater expenses " be required. Thus experts have declared, that association of the companies can " introduce set of innovations that is good help " on the market.
Last years company Yahoo gradually loses the positions. In 2007 the net profit of the company has decreased on 12 % in this connection management Yahoo has declared the future reduction of staff.
The third service-pack for Windows ХР accelerates the work of windows applications
Employees of company Devil Mountain Software had time to test the third service-pack for operational system Windows XP, and they approve that it essentially raises speed of work of some applications.
Into structure of the third package of updatings for Windows ХР enter over thousand corrections. Nearby 115 from them are called to solve the various problems connected with safety of a program platform. The remained corrections are intended for increase of productivity, stability of work of OS and so forth.
As employees Devil Mountain Software mark after installation of a package of updatings speed of work of office applications increases approximately on 10 %. Company Devil Mountain Software carried out the test of productivity OfficeBench on notebook with Microsoft Office 2007 equipped by processor Intel with frequency of 2 GHz and 1 GB of operative memory. It is remarkable that earlier on the same notebook company Devil Mountain Software tested the first service-pack for Windows Vista. Thus employees of the company have drawn a conclusion that Windows Vista with a package of updatings original updating of a program platform works not more quickly.
Now in testing the third service-pack for Windows ХР take part about 15 thousand users. Corporation Microsoft has planned release of the final version of a package of updatings for the first quarter of next year. Approximately during same time should appear and the first service-pack for operational system Windows Vista.
Microsoft plans to open an analogue of Flickr
Microsoft soon will have the new on-line service similar to popular photoservice Flickr.
Started about three years ago service Flickr now belongs to company Yahoo. The photobank totals more than 25 million active users and in Flickr database are stored hundred millions digital images. The service is accessible in English, French, German, Korean, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese languages.
On November 9th on site Microsoft there was an announcement of search of the expert which could head a command of developers of new on-line service. In the announcement it is marked that in the long term given service " should make competition Flickr, SmugMug and to other similar services ". From the description of vacancy follows that the service will be included into family of free-of-charge web-applications of Windows Live.
Observers are asked by a question whether one more is necessary to network community Flickr. However occurrence of photoservice from Microsoft can help users Flickr. The matter is that for high-grade access to the given service it is necessary to pay 25 dollars a year. And if Microsoft will offer free-of-charge photoservice company Yahoo, quite probably, will reconsider cost of a subscription on Flickr or in general will make service free-of-charge.
It is necessary to notice that recently corporation Microsoft applies many efforts on strengthening own positions in the market the Internet-services. Nevertheless, according to general director Microsoft Steve Ballmer, during some time on-line initiatives of corporation will remain unprofitable as Microsoft continues to invest means in corresponding sphere. However incomes of advertising, according to Balmer, nevertheless grow.