Microsoft has announced that it will buy DATAllegro, maker of data warehouse appliances. It plans to use the acquired technology
as the basis for a SQL Server 2008 appliance. This purchase is interesting on a lot of levels for the enterprise market. First
and foremost, it signals that the hot area of high-end, shared nothing massively parallel processing (MPP) appliances have
won out and users can expect them to take a major leap toward affordability, now that Microsoft has entered the market. READ MORE.
Today is Analyst Day at Microsoft and the question on everyone's minds seems to be how Microsoft plans
to keep its ailing online business from sucking up more resources until Microsoft can find a way to make it profitable (or kill it for good). This week's news that CEO Steve Ballmer is reorganizing the Windows and Online Services businesses (while the head of those businesses leaves to run Juniper), should bode well for enterprise customers. Three years ago Microsoft merged Windows and its online services businesses together and since then Google has not only become master of the Internet search and advertising world, but of back office cloud computing, too.
All in all, Microsoft/Facebook makes more sense than Microsoft/Yahoo or Microsoft/AOL. However, Facebook is itself under pressure to do a better job of cleaning up its third-party applications. Facebook is spam heaven. "We haven't done enough to reward the good applications or punish the applications that have just been abusive," he told a crowded hall of developers in San Francisco's South of Market district. "We're going to have to find a way to ensure the applications that provide the most long-term value are the ones that are succeeding."
After trying to buy Yahoo, running Juniper should be an easier job07/24/08Do we need to ask why Kevin Johnson, the man behind Microsoft's troubled bid to buy Yahoo is leaving Microsoft? Well, he's not leaving for a bad job either - he'll be running Juniper Networks, according to a report on WSJ.com. Johnson's group - Microsoft's largest by headcount, according to the WSJ - will be split into two: one that will manage the Windows OS and Windows Live, and the other that will manage Microsoft's online services, according to the story.
Microsoft comic book 'The Lost Ones' better off not found07/23/08
From Microsoft Subnet editor Julie Bort: Earlier this month, Zune Arts released an online comic book series called "The Lost Ones." Zune is Microsoft's brand name for its collection of interactive entertainment offerings (the most famous of which is the Zune MP3 player). I asked my brother, Steven Goldstein, to review the comic book for the Microsoft Subnet blog. Steven is not only a long-time comic book collector, a graphic artist and photographer, but is also a member of a secret society called the "Dark Ones" that he won't really tell me much about. (I know it involves DarkCon, the gaming convention in Phoenix that Steve organizes each year.) All of which makes him the perfect choice to offer feedback on "The Lost Ones."
Given that VMware ditched its founder in favor of a Microsoft executive two weeks before reporting its Q2 results, one would have thought that the quarter would have shown a company bleeding red. Not so. VMware reported healthy revenue growth, healthy profits and increases in both U.S. and international software licenses. Plus, it is sitting on $1.5 billion in cash. From an enterprise's point of view, there is no urgent reason to worry about the company's financial standing. On the other hand, these Q2 numbers, along with its revised outlook, also point to potentially treacherous financial times ahead.
This problem was reported way back in December. The software will sometimes corrupt files when Windows Home Server users edit or transfer them on systems with more than one hard drive. This kind of lack of quality control is why users blame Microsoft for every problem they experience with their home computers. If Microsoft wants to repair its reputation with consumers, it needs to 1) Not ship products with major flaws. 2) Fix flaws a lot faster than eight months after they are reported.
SBS 2008: a lukewarm review07/21/08Between this lukewarm review of Small Business Server 2008 and the fact that it was conspicuously absent from the 2008 TechEd conference, it's hard not to wonder what Microsoft really wants with this product. It could be a vehicle Microsoft is using to appease its channel, now that way-to-low-to-make-a-living pricing for its online services has been revealed. (See Mitchell Ashley's blog post: S+S:The Kobayashi Maru of Microsoft) However, if you've used and mastered the previous SBS, based on Windows Server 2003, and you want to upgrade hardware and clients to WS2008/Vista, then seems as if SBS 2008 will still be a good bet for you. The price isn't as low as it once was, but the integrated management is what the package is all about.
Microsoft news from Network World
Microsoft Cloud Initiative Announcement LoomingWith the new fiscal year beginning, I think we'll see Microsoft's cloud announcement sometime in the next three months, no later than the end of the year. ...Read more
Mitchell Ashley is a serial entrepreneur who is currently CEO and Chief Strategist of his fourth company, Converging Network, LLC.
UAC and Pre-Vista/2008 Ready Applications - Part TwoIn my last post, I told the tale about my travels with UAC and Pre-Vista/2008 Ready Applications. In tonight's post, as promised, I'm going to attempt to explain why UAC ...Read more
Tyson Kopczynski is a specialist in Active Directory, Group Policy, Windows scripting, Windows Rights Management Services, PKI, and IT security practices and the author of Windows PowerShell Unleashed.
A Better Windows World: On the Radio"If it sounds good, you'll hear it; If it looks good, you'll see it; If it's marketed right, you'll buy it; but if it's real, you'll feel it." - Kid ...Read more
Ron Barrett is president of RARE-TECH, an IT training and consulting company. He is a co-author of The Administrator's Guide to Microsoft Office 2007 Servers, How to Cheat at Administering Office Communications Server 2007, and a contributor to many other titles.
Why did you choose the ‘Dark Side’ and become a programmer?I am teaching an introduction to .NET programming class this week and I always like to ask what got the students interested in becoming a programmer in the first place. ...Read more
Chip Wenz is an instructor for New Horizons and holds is a MCSE, MCSA+M, MCDBA, MCAD, MCSD, MCTS, MCPD and MCT. New Horizons offers a monthly giveaway for free training. See right column for details.
What should the punishment be for cheating by a “Test-Center”?In my last few blogs I have talked about the different punishment standards recently introduced by Microsoft for individuals and test-centers. A test-center (CPLS) only faces a suspension, where as ...Read more
Randy Muller, MCT, MCSE, MCSA, MCDST, is currently an instructor with Global Knowledge. Global Knowledge sponsors a monthly giveaway on Microsoft Subnet (see details, page right: Giveaways and Contests ... HINT: June trivia answer is "beta test").
Building the Anywhere OfficeA lot has been made about baseline benefits and ROI, however it can be difficult for the average information worker to see how it will improve their job performance and ...Read more
When not writing Microsoft-related books, Alex is a senior IT consultant and involved in many early adopter and TAP programs, working with new technology often 2-3 years before public release.
As a DBA I don’t know whether to laugh or cry…Last week while in NYC, I was lucky enough to see Ricky Gervais on stage at Madison Square Garden. He's the "tubby comedian" (he hates that label) from Britain who ...Read more
Brian D. Egler, MCITP-DBA/MCSE/MCT, is currently an instructor with Global Knowledge, teaching various Microsoft training courses. Enter the free monthly giveaway sponsored by Global Knowledge. Details are on the right of this page.
I didn’t say your baby was ugly, I just returned my iPhoneJudging by the amount of traffic (and comments) on my post regarding my iPhone 3G experience, I guess I may have hit on a topic about which no one is ...Read more
When not co-authoring books such as Essential SharePoint 2007, Sue Hanley is an information architect.
Server 2008 as a Workstation, Speed and ReliabilityOverall I'd rate the issue of speed and reliability as a conditional win for Server 2008 compared with Vista, granting that I have all of one week's experience under my ...Read more
Glenn Weadock is an instructor with Global Knowledge, teaching the MCSA, MCSE, Server 2008 and Vista tracks. WIN a free 'Cool Stuff' gift from Global Knowledge. See details to the right of this page.
SQL Server 2008 Installation Strategies and Best Practices - Part 2 of 5. New Installation, Upgrade or Transition?SQL Server 2008 Installation Strategies and Best Practices Part 2 of 5 ...Read more
Ross Mistry is the author of SQL Server 2008 Management and Administrationand other SQL Server titles. When not writing books, he designs SQL Server, Active Directory and Exchange solutions for Fortune 500 companies.
A good post on the OpsMgr 2007 Authoring ConsoleStever Rachui, technical reviewer for the upcoming System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Unleashed book, also shines with OpsMgr 2007 support. He recently blogged on which console to use for MP authoring ...Read more
Kerrie Meyler's current book, System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed is now available. Check out out this free chapter.
20 most useful Microsoft sites and moreMicrosoft Subnet is dedicated to make your job easier and your day more fun. Here are a few of our biggest hits:
20 great Windows open source projects you should get to know
6 free security tools you shouldn't live without
20 most useful Microsoft web sites
10 funniest Microsoft YouTube videos
9 worst Microsoft products
Library of free chapters from best-selling Microsoft books Read More
Imagine Cup 2008 Final Competition Paris
iTunes Achilles' Heel In iPhone 3G Launch
Microsoft Analyzers Tools - Free help that's worth trying
Windows Server 2008 High Availability Alternatives - Failover Clusering & Network Load Balancing
My response to “my Vista 64-bit runs just fine"
The next class for our newest IT members
Converging on Microsoft podcast series 07/15/08, Network World
Mitchell Ashley talks with interesting people about topics in the world of Microsoft.
Latest episode: Citrix CTO Simon Crosby claims the hypervisor war is over
Previous episode:
David Lynch discusses managing virtualized environments
3/31/08 (30:54)
All previous episodes.
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Patch Tuesday features four patches, skips Access bug
Microsoft has included four patches that fix a total of nine bugs in its monthly Patch Tuesday cycle. None of the patches are rated critical, all are rated important. The company did not include a patch for bug in Access that has been making headlines, although workarounds are available, but it did include Microsoft's patch for a historic multi-vendor patch to close a hole in the Domain Name System protocol. The other three patches fixed holes in Outlook Web Access, SQL Server and Windows Explorer.
READ MORE
A MICROSOFT TRAINING COURSE WORTH UP TO $2,500 FROM NEW HORIZONS
New Horizons Computer Learning Centers is sponsoring a monthly contest on Microsoft Subnet. One lucky reader will win a free Microsoft training course worth up
to $2,500. Next deadline is July 31. Check out the New Horizons' catalog and start dreaming of your free class. Entry details available here. (Hint: answer is "Try things out" and can be found here.)
WIN FREE BOOKS FROM PEARSON EDUCATION
Win one of 15 copies of the book Essential PowerShell by Holger Schwichtenberg, published by Addison-Wesley Professional (a $39.99 value). Plus, READ a chapter excerpt. Entry details available by clicking here. (Hint: answer is "".NET Framework 2.0 or later" and can be found here.)
A $500 GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE
Global Knowledge is offering a $500 gift certificate to be given to one lucky Microsoft Subnet reader. Entry details available by clicking here. (Hint: answer is " and can be found "here."IPv6" and can be found here.)
In response to the recent onslaught of SQL injection attacks against Web sites using ASP, Microsoft has developed a new static code analysis tool for finding SQL Injection vulnerabilities. Web developers can run the tool on their ASP source code to identify the root cause of the attack. The tool will also scan ASP source code and generate warnings related to first order and second order SQL Injection vulnerabilities.
PRODUCTCheck out Microsoft Research's WorldWide Telescope. Download this and turn your computer into a virtual telescope, based on imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world.
BLOGThe Microsoft Exchange Team Blog is offering step-by-step instructions to Exchange admins who are seeing iPhones being linked up to Exchange. This post includes advice for implementing policies and more.
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