Office Open XML official
Microsoft has won approval for its Office Open XML document format from ECMA International, a global standards body.
Microsoft has won approval for its Office Open XML document format from ECMA International, a global standards body.
Let the spin control begin. In an open letter issued recently, Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian attempted to distance his company from Microsoft’s claims that open source software, including the Linux kernel, infringes on Microsoft intellectual property.
Microsoft has intentionally rendered unsafe all but one path to heterogeneity — that being the use of Novell’s SLES (Suse Linux Enterprise Server) in networks with Windows. By immunising Novell against future intellectual property actions, Microsoft has tacitly notified other players in commercialised open source that Microsoft sets the rules for Windows interoperability from now on.
ACE Training, a privately owned computer training company, is offering students a one-year industry internship upon completion of one of its Microsoft courses — the Diploma in Computer Technology.
Eyeing the rich application design space, Microsoft is detailing milestones in its Expression design tools platform, including the introduction of Expression Media to manage video files, images and fonts.
A British company that has made a business out of selling pre-owned licences for Microsoft products has brought its products to the US for the first time.
The landmark technology collaboration agreement between Microsoft and Novell that was announced earlier this month took a controversial twist when Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer later proclaimed that Linux customers have “an undisclosed balance sheet liability” because Linux “uses our intellectual property”. Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian provided his views on the ensuing controversy, along with a behind-the-scenes account of how the agreement was reached, in an interview with Computerworld US Editor in chief Don Tennant.
Networking
Vista development, which started with the Windows Server 2003 core, which in turn started with the Windows XP SP2 core, is in the same league with Microsoft’s Windows 95 effort, and not far behind the gargantuan Windows NT undertaking. Whether you love Windows or not, whether you believe in Microsoft’s ability to innovate or not, you can’t fault the software giant’s R&D efforts with Windows.
Chris Liddell, Microsoft’s expat Kiwi chief financial officer, has a nice problem — lots of cash.
The partnership between Microsoft and Novell has raised as many questions as it has provided answers. That’s a shame, because some of those questions should have been put to rest long ago.
Over the past few years, Microsoft has aggressively sought to change the image that its products have poor security. The company says that Windows Vista, which has been released to manufacturing, will be its most secure operating system to date, representing a top-down change in how its programmers develop code with security in mind.
Microsoft plans to extend the wireless capability of its new Zune devices to PCs and the company's Xbox 360 game console, according to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates.
Microsoft has used many slogans in its 30 years of existence. Remember “Where do you want to go today?”
Following on the heels of its “Unfakeable Linux” rebuttal to the recent incursion by Oracle into its core Linux support business, Red Hat has called the new alliance between rivals Microsoft and Novell “unthinkable” — but still spun it as a victory for all Linux vendors.