Latest Microsoft news.
Microsoft publicly offers up a protocol for NAC, 05/22/07: Microsoft is publishing part of its network access protection (NAP) software and it is being picked up by the Trusted Computing Group, making it part of a broader NAC framework.
Microsoft says licensing protects customers, 05/23/07: A top Microsoft executive promoted the company’s licensing of network security protocols at the Interop trade show on Wednesday, but not before taking time out during a keynote address to defend the company’s patent licensing program for open-source software.
Microsoft further opens up identity platform, 05/23/07: Microsoft on Wednesday unveiled royalty-free access to another of its identity specifications and introduced four open-source projects designed to improve interoperability among its identity management platform and those from other vendors and developers.
Linux users say ‘Sue me first, Microsoft’, 05/22/07: In an unconventional request, some users of Linux and other open source software are inviting Microsoft to sue them.
John.Obeto’s blog: SMB Linux is a chimera: Obeto writes: “Some yobs are advocating that small businesses yank out their current server OS and install one of the new Linux offerings. Any small business owner that entrusts his/her computing service to a Linux SMB solution is, IMO, either no longer interested in whatever business that small business is currently in, and would like to start a career in Linux hell, or is plain crazy.”
Forum: Stop being so cynical about open source: One reader writes: “The users want to have better and cheaper options but don’t really want to bet their future on open source (unless they are universities or nonprofits and that is the best they can do).” Other readers weigh in.
Microsoft tools keep bad Office files at bay, 05/22/07: Microsoft released a pair of tools Monday that help protect computers from Office 2003 files containing malicious software code.
Opinion: Microsoft plugs critical Vista hole, 05/21/07: Microsoft has just patched another critical hole in Vista that it knew about as long ago as last Christmas. The delay was similar to its lag in patching the serious (and heavily targeted) animated-cursor flaw I told you about last month.
Opinion: A call to action against Microsoft’s open source threats, 05/21/07: Once again, Microsoft has hoisted the canard that there are 235 Microsoft patents that open source products, largely Linux and OpenOffice, are in ostensible violation of patent rights.
Opinion: Microsoft: Invisible patents as a uniform, 05/21/07: Fortune magazine thought the story was important enough to put above the magazine’s name on the front cover of its May 28 issue: “Microsoft takes on the free world.” The story makes it clear that Microsoft thinks it’s again time to trot out its Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt (FUD) campaign against Linux. This attempt rings as hollow as previous ones.
Microsoft to buy aQuantive for $6 billion, 05/18/07: Microsoft plans to acquire aQuantive, a digital marketing services agency, for around $6 billion in order to grow its Internet advertising business, it was announced Friday.
AQuantive deal no silver bullet for Microsoft, 05/18/07: Microsoft’s planned acquisition of digital advertising and marketing services agency aQuantive will give the company the tools it needs to dig its heels in as a competitor in the rapidly evolving digital advertising market.
