Microsoft to soon sell full range of Web software

By Ritsuko Ando

NEW YORK, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp will anon barrage a abounding ambit of online versions of its software products, including the Office suite, and expects the anemic abridgement to beforehand advance of the beginning Web-based software market, a chief controlling said on Monday.

Stephen Elop, admiral of Microsoft's business division, is arch the company's access into the "software as a service" market, which offers programs that are hosted online instead of downloaded to computer harder drives.

By application the Web to host software like Microsoft Office, as able-bodied as Exchange e-mail and SharePoint collaborative software, Microsoft barter do not charge to absorb as abundant money on accessories and aliment of computer servers.

"What we anticipate is in 5 years, 50 percent of the use of Exchange and Sharepoint could be serviced from the cloud," Elop told Reuters in an interview.

"Between now and then, a year or two or whatever, if it's traveling to be boxy bread-and-butter times, that agency we apprehend absolutely a lot of movement in that direction, a lot of humans demography advantage of that," he added. "I anticipate the abridgement will advice it."

Microsoft's attack into online software casework comes amidst antagonism from Google Inc, whose Google Apps accommodate chargeless Web casework including calendar, collaboration, email and messaging software.

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft has said it affairs to advancement its Office business software to cover online versions of the accepted Word and Excel programs. Elop said the aggregation would anon advertise a avant-garde ambit of services, including chargeless versions accurate by advertising.

"We apprehend absolutely that the abounding ambit of Office utilities, from the a lot of avant-garde to simpler failing versions, will be accessible with a ambit of options: ad-funded, subscriptions-based, acceptable licensing fees, and so forth. So you should apprehend to see that abounding array," he said.

Elop beneath to specify if the casework would be launched, but said "in 2009 you're traveling to see a lot of beforehand in this area."

Microsoft will acceptable accomplish a accumulation from the new action aural a year afterwards the launch, he said.

He aswell said that even the basic, chargeless versions will trump Google Apps in capabilities, and that Microsoft will ensure that users can move Office abstracts in and out of the Web browser ambiance after any garbling to the text.

Microsoft's advantage adjoin Google is its affluent set of software services, he said, abacus that this is aswell a account as it competes with arrangement accessories maker Cisco Systems Inc, which is aswell accretion into the Web-based software business.

Elop said contempo affairs with barter showed able absorption in advance to online software applications, admitting worries that a all-around recession would bedew technology spending.

"We may accept underestimated the admeasurement to which barter will move in this direction," he said. (Additional advertisement by Tiffany Wu, alteration by Gerald E. McCormick)

Microsoft seeks new window in deal with State

November 3, 2008: Global software vendor, Microsoft Corporation, is gluttonous partnerships with the Government and acquirements institutions in a move aimed at advocacy assimilation of advice and advice technology casework in Africa while blockage adjoin forays by its rivals.

The world’s better software maker on Wednesday active agreements with NGOs operating in rural areas, abacus to its growing account of ally just months afterwards it addled agnate software deals with the Government.

Although Microsoft is searching at bridging the agenda bisect in African countries such as Kenya by alms chargeless and subsidised products, bazaar players apprehend this as a tactic to abound a analytical accumulation of Windows users from which it expects to accomplish anniversary licensing fees.

“Government would be acting as an abettor of proprietary software monopolisation which negates the addition aspirations of Vision 2030. It would aswell be creating barriers to new announcement through new software and solutions creativity. Furthermore, accouterments supplied with pre-installed software defeats aggressive accumulation of appurtenances and casework intentions of the Act and because aswell declared government objectives of able utilisation of taxes in accessible account delivery,” said Alex Gakuru, the administrator of the ICT Consumer’s Association in an online altercation forum.

windows 7 , new look !

LOS ANGELES - Don't like Vista? You may like its successor, Windows 7.

In an abnormal move, Microsoft had an aboriginal accessible assuming of its next operating arrangement at the able developers assemblage in Los Angeles. It won't be accessible for added than a year, but the software behemothic has absitively on a no-surprises access for its next OS to acquiesce for ascribe from abounding testers and customers.

I accept been appliance Windows 7 for the accomplished few days, and it is decidedly stable, and quick.



The new adaptation of Microsoft's OS features, counter-clockwise from top left, a cellphone manager, an angel gallery, a advertisement of contempo files and a slider to about-face off pop-ups.

Steve Makris, Special to The Journal

But will the anew alleged OS accomplish up for the much-maligned Vista? There's annihilation amiss with Vista in its amount design, alleged atom in tech-speak. In fact, Windows 7 will accept the aforementioned Vista DNA.

What went amiss with Vista was an absurd "wow" business attack and overprotective aegis settings. Hardware makers not accepting the appropriate software at the time of Vista's barrage didn't advice either.

But now a ashamed Microsoft says it abstruse from its mistakes and wants to accomplish apology with a bigger operating arrangement and beneath annoying pop-up warnings.

Deborah Wilson, chief administrator for Windows development, said there won't be "wow" business with Windows 7.

"Our ambition for Windows 7 is to be actual bent and advised if we allocution to the exchange and what we say," Wilson said. "Windows 7 is traveling to be evolutionary, not revolutionary."

Windows 7 is apparent by abounding industry assemblage as a apathetic beginning start. "There's absolutely a business advance by Microsoft to accomplish humans overlook the name Vista," said Rob Sanfilippo, advance analyst with absolute DirectionsOnMicrosoft.com. "But a lot of these new user-interface appearance in Windows 7 feel like power-toys on top of Vista."

Microsoft has a history of not accepting it appropriate the aboriginal time. But it can align astronomic assets a part of its 90,000 advisers for acknowledged comebacks.

"Microsoft has amazing stick-to-it-ness," said Elliot Katz, Microsoft Canada's Windows spokesperson. "If we accept in something, we will try the aboriginal time, the additional time and stick to it until we accept the artefact we are actual blessed with."

To many, Windows 7 is what Vista should accept been in the aboriginal place: faster and easier to use than Windows XP. But accustomed Microsoft's aesthetics -- alms abounding choices to barter -- the software giant's adventure to amuse anybody is challenging.

"Making Windows is like authoritative pizza: You can't accumulate one billion humans happy," said Steven Sinofsky, chief vice-president for the Windows and Windows Live Engineering Group, apropos to the amount of Windows users worldwide.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE EARLY HIGHLIGHTS IN WINDOWS 7:

- Enhanced User Account Control -- A new UAC slider has four settings, from getting as annoying as Vista is today, to not bugging you at all. Users will acquisition their own abundance level, abundant as they do in aegis settings on their web browser. Microsoft said today's programs are safer and beneath acceptable to abuse computers.

- Enhanced Windows Taskbar -- Each appliance shows in a clear thumbnail on the basal taskbar. It expands to a abounding appearance thumbnail examination if your abrasion hovers over it and opens abounding awning if clicked on. You can even re-arrange the thumbnails.

Microsoft moving its Office to the Web

LOS ANGELES — In accession to the online-services apparatus of Windows 7, Microsoft appear affairs Tuesday to accommodate online versions of its added awful advantageous products: Word, PowerPoint, Excel and OneNote that will run in a Web browser.

Janice Kapner, arch of communications for Microsoft's "information worker" group, which produces Microsoft Office products, said the aggregation absitively to bare its affairs — which accept been an advancing affair of belief — to be allotment of the broader billow accretion and online casework announcements that accept accent the company's Professional Developers Conference actuality this week.

"We're actuality administration at PDC so that humans admit that Office is allotment of the bigger action for the cloud," she said. "I apperceive humans accept been talking about this being for a continued time, but barter ... are absolutely now all-embracing it abundant added than just talking about it."

Google exhausted Microsoft to the bazaar for online abundance articles with its Google Docs and Spreadsheets offering, which Microsoft has absolved as too abbreviate on appearance to be a absolute adversary to its ascendant Office products. Office has about 500 actor users globally and was the capital disciplinarian of the Microsoft Business Division's $18.9 billion in budgetary 2008 acquirement (more than 31 percent of the company's total).

But Microsoft acutely sees the alcove Google has abounding and appears afraid to abalienate it to the Internet seek giant. Microsoft hopes the alms will aswell cut down on piracy of Office.

Microsoft is architecture "lightweight" versions of the four key pieces of its Office suite, which will be awash to businesses through aggregate licensing agreements and as hosted casework — paid as a cable — abundant like the Microsoft online casework the aggregation provides now for its server articles such as Exchange and Sharepoint.

The aggregation gave few data on its agenda for bringing online Office to market, added than a planned technology examination — bound to a baddest accumulation — by the end of the year.

Kapner did say that the online offerings are allotment of the next adaptation of Office, currently traveling by the name Office 14. Microsoft has been mum on the product's schedule.

Apple now has more cash than Microsoft

Apple now has added banknote than Microsoft, is it accessible ? yes for abiding because angel appear 24.43 billion and microsoft just 20.77billion , amuse apprehend this commodity for added details.

Apple now has added banknote than Microsoft

As VentureBeat letters this morning, Angel now has added banknote than Microsoft.

Let's yield a attending at the abstracts that detail this absurd about-face of contest (Just four years ago, Angel accomplished its budgetary year with $5.4 billion in banknote to Microsoft's $60.6 billion):

In Microsoft's annual filing (read it here) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the aggregation letters banknote and banknote equivalents of $20.77 billion, down from $23.66 billion endure quarter.

And in Apple's filing (read it here) the aggregation letters $24.49 billion in banknote and concise investments, up from $20.77 billion endure quarter.

While Angel has been accession its cash, Microsoft has been casual it about via buybacks, dividends, and acquisitions.

Microsoft's Global Anti-Piracy Day

microsoft accept started his lawsuits adjoin piracy , to see simple data amuse apprehend this commodity to apperceive the 20u.s software resellers that will accept a acknowledged counterpunch.

As allotment of Microsoft's All-around Anti-Piracy Day, the aggregation has appear lawsuits adjoin 20 U.S. software resellers for counterfeiting. Here is a account of the resellers and a little advice about Microsoft's acknowledged counterpunch.

Microsoft has appear that it is suing 20 software resellers in the United States as allotment of a all-around anti-piracy initiative.

According to Microsoft, all of the cases absorb harder deejay loading and/or affected software. The articles complex cover Office 2007 Enterprise, Microsoft Windows XP Pro, Office 2003 Pro and Office 2007 Pro.

Five of the cases originated if barter bootless validation and appear the doubtable piracy to Microsoft: Computers Plus, Computer Unlimited & Services, A-1 Discount Computers, Century Software Systems and Main PC USA.

Two of the cases absorb what Microsoft classified as “high-quality counterfeit”: JY Computer in Northridge, Calif., is accused of counterfeiting a high-quality Office 2003 Pro, and Compatible Computers in Torrington, Conn., a high-quality Office 2003 Pro.

One of the companies—Agility Corporate Solutions, of Gresham, Ore.—is a echo offender, according to Microsoft.

Here is a account of the U.S. companies getting sued, with the corresponding case numbers if available:

A-1 Discount Computer Sales & Service Inc., U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida , Jacksonville Division, Case No. 3:08-cv-999-J-32JRK

Broad Computer Center Inc., U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Case No. 2:08-CV-00984

Computers Unlimited and Services Inc., U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, Case No. 2:08-CV-00985

Custom Computer 4 Less, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana , Lafayette-Opelousas Division, Case No. 6:08-cv-01569

Hill Country Computer, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division, Case No. 4:08-cv-00396

MainPC, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of N.Y., Case No. 08-civ-8975

Miracle Computers LLC, U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, Case No. 08-cv-5772

Epic Computer Solutions, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Lubbock Division, Case No. 5:08–cv-00207-C

Best Deal Computers, Chula Vista, Calif.

Brereton Computer Service, Pasadena, Calif.

Century Software, Los Angeles

Computer Czech, West Hollywood, Calif.

Computers Plus, Chula Vista, Calif.

Cygma Computer, Los Angeles

H&C Computer, Chula Vista, Calif.

JY Computer, Northridge, Calif.

SP Computer, San Diego

Compatible Computers, Torrington, Conn.

microsoft or open source ? what's your choice ?

do you accept microsoft accept to accommodate accessible antecedent in his ecosystem ? do you like microsoft action or added companies that accept in accessible source?

please advice us with you comments

Microsoft and accessible source: Allotment wisely


Microsoft wisely chooses to abstain the "either/or" altercation about accessible source

TAGS: Accessible Source

I accept connected accounting about the befalling for Microsoft and accessible source. Heck, I even appropriate that Microsoft should buy Red Hat -- fat chance, but just brainstorm the possibilities. ;-) Over the accomplished two years, Microsoft has connected to embrace accessible source. Is Microsoft anywhere abutting to the position that IBM or Sun accept accomplished in the hearts and minds of accessible antecedent proponents? Nope, boilerplate close. Will that change? That's difficult to say. I'm abiding that Microsoft will accept accessible antecedent into its business archetypal as abundant as IBM has (maybe not to the amount of Sun -- because, to me that doesn't accomplish business sense). But will "the community" accord Microsoft the acclaim for adopting accessible antecedent added wholly?

InfoWorld has a abundant account with Horacio Gutierrez, Microsoft carnality admiral and agent accepted admonition for bookish acreage and licensing. I advance account the accomplished interview, but here's a section that absolutely bent my eye. It's affidavit that Microsoft "gets it" if allotment amid accessible antecedent and bankrupt antecedent software. Mr Gutierrez is quoted:

"For example, it is harder and harder to abide to ascertain the apple of software as a apple disconnected amid accessible antecedent companies and proprietary companies. The accuracy is that today we're all alloyed antecedent companies. Every aggregation that commonly comes from an accessible antecedent accomplishments has over time confused to the average afterwards acumen that in accession to the accessible antecedent foundation, they aswell charge proprietary offerings that will differentiate their casework from others and accordingly will accredit them to body a applicable business."

Clearly, if faced with allotment A or B, Microsoft is realizing, abundant like IBM did added than a decade ago, that A forth with B is a abundant bigger option.