What Will 2007 Bring from Microsoft?
[Microsoft Watch] As Microsoft heads into 2007, which will be marked by the general availability of Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange 2007 in late January, analysts weigh in with their predictions for the year.
The most interesting of these is the fact that one of the largest challenges Redmond will face in 2007 and beyond is convincing its large, and growing, installed base to upgrade to this new wave of products.
I spoke to three analysts about their predictions for the year, what they saw as Microsoft's biggest challenges going forward, and the greatest threats to its business. This is what they had to say:
Al Gillen, vice president of research at IDC
Predictions:
(1) Consumer sales and shipments will shift to Vista immediately; enterprise adoption will lag.
(2) Customers will evaluate Office 2007 independently of Vista, so any broad movement to Office 2007 is likely to be dampened by the slow adoption of the new operating system.
(3) 2007 will not just be a year of purely selling new products, since Windows Longhorn Server still has to launch over the year.
(4) Continued focus on getting caught up on the virtualization front, a critical area for the company.
(5) More talk about product strategy as well as product sales but, with Vista launched, it is also likely that the company will step back and objectively consider how it will organize itself for the next round of product development.
Biggest challenges and competitive threats.
(1) Its own installed base: The larger the installed base gets, the harder it is to move, and the longer it takes to transition.
(2) Early enterprise adoption: In general, Microsoft's best year usually comes the year after the release of new technology, not the year of the new product release.
(3) Linux and other open source software: While Linux is already a threat on the server side, Microsoft's current emphasis on reducing piracy on the client side, may accidentally accelerate the option of Linux as a client operating system.
(4) Virtualization: Microsoft has been unable to stall the market while getting its products into play, so the company now finds itself in the unusual position of having to battle its way back to a competitive position in the market against established competitors such as VMware.
Michael Cherry, lead analyst for Microsoft at Directions on Microsoft
Predictions.
(1) 2007 will be a good year for Microsoft with regard to Vista as there are features that businesses should be interested in, such as User Account Control and BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Biggest challenges and competitive threats.
(1) Microsoft's performance: It has to get better at describing in meaningful and measurable terms its message around Windows and Office Live.
(2) Ease of use: It has to make it easier for customers to legally use its products.
(3) Licensing: Customers have to be able to understand how to best license only the amount of software they really need to be productive, and no more.
(4) Better communication: As the licensing programs are extremely hard to understand, Microsoft has to do a far better job of communicating when products will be delivered, and what features they will include.
Rob Enderle, the principal analyst at the Enderle Group
Predictions:
(1) Not a lot of demand for Vista or Office 2007, which are also being launched during the slowest time of the year for sales.
(2) Apple, which is at its strongest, is going to move aggressively against Microsoft, which is in anything but peak shape, adding extra drama to the entire year.
(3) Microsoft will start talking about the revolutionary changes that will happen post-Vista and those offerings for Vista that have, as yet, not been announced.
Biggest challenges and competitive threats.
(1) Finding its center: Microsoft's biggest problem is not open-source software or Apple, but rather the ability to return to vitality so it can compete as it once did, and enjoy the financial benefits of a robust equity market surrounding its stock.
(2) Microsoft itself: It has unintentionally been the engine underneath Linux and has not completely fixed that.
(3) Serving customers: Microsoft desperately needs to identify the customer they must serve for each product/solution and place everyone else in subordinate positions.
What Will 2007 Bring from Microsoft?
[Microsoft Watch] As Microsoft heads into 2007, which will be marked by the general availability of Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Exchange 2007 in late January, analysts weigh in with their predictions for the year.
The most interesting of these is the fact that one of the largest challenges Redmond will face in 2007 and beyond is convincing its large, and growing, installed base to upgrade to this new wave of products.
I spoke to three analysts about their predictions for the year, what they saw as Microsoft's biggest challenges going forward, and the greatest threats to its business. This is what they had to say:
Al Gillen, vice president of research at IDC
Predictions:
(1) Consumer sales and shipments will shift to Vista immediately; enterprise adoption will lag.
(2) Customers will evaluate Office 2007 independently of Vista, so any broad movement to Office 2007 is likely to be dampened by the slow adoption of the new operating system.
(3) 2007 will not just be a year of purely selling new products, since Windows Longhorn Server still has to launch over the year.
(4) Continued focus on getting caught up on the virtualization front, a critical area for the company.
(5) More talk about product strategy as well as product sales but, with Vista launched, it is also likely that the company will step back and objectively consider how it will organize itself for the next round of product development.
Biggest challenges and competitive threats.
(1) Its own installed base: The larger the installed base gets, the harder it is to move, and the longer it takes to transition.
(2) Early enterprise adoption: In general, Microsoft's best year usually comes the year after the release of new technology, not the year of the new product release.
(3) Linux and other open source software: While Linux is already a threat on the server side, Microsoft's current emphasis on reducing piracy on the client side, may accidentally accelerate the option of Linux as a client operating system.
(4) Virtualization: Microsoft has been unable to stall the market while getting its products into play, so the company now finds itself in the unusual position of having to battle its way back to a competitive position in the market against established competitors such as VMware.
Michael Cherry, lead analyst for Microsoft at Directions on Microsoft
Predictions.
(1) 2007 will be a good year for Microsoft with regard to Vista as there are features that businesses should be interested in, such as User Account Control and BitLocker Drive Encryption.
Biggest challenges and competitive threats.
(1) Microsoft's performance: It has to get better at describing in meaningful and measurable terms its message around Windows and Office Live.
(2) Ease of use: It has to make it easier for customers to legally use its products.
(3) Licensing: Customers have to be able to understand how to best license only the amount of software they really need to be productive, and no more.
(4) Better communication: As the licensing programs are extremely hard to understand, Microsoft has to do a far better job of communicating when products will be delivered, and what features they will include.
Rob Enderle, the principal analyst at the Enderle Group
Predictions:
(1) Not a lot of demand for Vista or Office 2007, which are also being launched during the slowest time of the year for sales.
(2) Apple, which is at its strongest, is going to move aggressively against Microsoft, which is in anything but peak shape, adding extra drama to the entire year.
(3) Microsoft will start talking about the revolutionary changes that will happen post-Vista and those offerings for Vista that have, as yet, not been announced.
Biggest challenges and competitive threats.
(1) Finding its center: Microsoft's biggest problem is not open-source software or Apple, but rather the ability to return to vitality so it can compete as it once did, and enjoy the financial benefits of a robust equity market surrounding its stock.
(2) Microsoft itself: It has unintentionally been the engine underneath Linux and has not completely fixed that.
(3) Serving customers: Microsoft desperately needs to identify the customer they must serve for each product/solution and place everyone else in subordinate positions.
Now Is Not the Time for Vista
"With nearly a month of Vista availability behind us, businesses don't seem to be in any rush to take the leap. An article on ITworld cites two significant reasons for the foot-dragging. First, Microsoft's case-by-case approach to Vista patches, which is leaving some problems unpatched until after the consumer release in January.
Second, application (in)compatibility. From the article: "Some of the applications that still aren't compatible with Vista include IBM Corp.'s Lotus Notes e-mail and collaboration suite; Cisco Systems Inc.'s and Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.'s VPN clients; Intuit Corp.'s accounting software QuickBooks 2006 and earlier versions; and anti-virus (AV) software from Trend Micro Inc.'"
Now Is Not the Time for Vista
"With nearly a month of Vista availability behind us, businesses don't seem to be in any rush to take the leap. An article on ITworld cites two significant reasons for the foot-dragging. First, Microsoft's case-by-case approach to Vista patches, which is leaving some problems unpatched until after the consumer release in January.
Second, application (in)compatibility. From the article: "Some of the applications that still aren't compatible with Vista include IBM Corp.'s Lotus Notes e-mail and collaboration suite; Cisco Systems Inc.'s and Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.'s VPN clients; Intuit Corp.'s accounting software QuickBooks 2006 and earlier versions; and anti-virus (AV) software from Trend Micro Inc.'"
How to permanently activate Windows Vista, at least for now
[Digg]While Microsoft's Vista hasn't quite had time to make it out to us normal folk just yet, there's certainly versions floating around thanks to the November 30th corporate release, and we've already found a way to circumvent Redmond's most valiant efforts to make us activate the darned software. With the help of a few background apps, a little registry tweakin', and whole lot of deviousness, you can reportedly freeze the 30-day countdown timer within the operating system in order to prevent it from ever leaving the fully functional evaluation mode.
Purportedly, the TimerStop Vista crack works "on all 32-bit x86 editions" including Ultimate and Premium, but the success rate in 64-bit (x64) environments is "likely to be low." Notable, the folks behind the crack suggest that Windows Updates will still be accessible, as will Microsoft's "value-added software downloads" typically only available to those who pass the WVGA validation process. So if you're looking to hit up a new OS in the coming weeks, or you've already got ‘er up and running, be sure to peep the read link if you're interested in pulling this off—but don't count on Microsoft to sleep on this one, holiday break or not.
How to permanently activate Windows Vista, at least for now
[Digg]While Microsoft's Vista hasn't quite had time to make it out to us normal folk just yet, there's certainly versions floating around thanks to the November 30th corporate release, and we've already found a way to circumvent Redmond's most valiant efforts to make us activate the darned software. With the help of a few background apps, a little registry tweakin', and whole lot of deviousness, you can reportedly freeze the 30-day countdown timer within the operating system in order to prevent it from ever leaving the fully functional evaluation mode.
Purportedly, the TimerStop Vista crack works "on all 32-bit x86 editions" including Ultimate and Premium, but the success rate in 64-bit (x64) environments is "likely to be low." Notable, the folks behind the crack suggest that Windows Updates will still be accessible, as will Microsoft's "value-added software downloads" typically only available to those who pass the WVGA validation process. So if you're looking to hit up a new OS in the coming weeks, or you've already got ‘er up and running, be sure to peep the read link if you're interested in pulling this off—but don't count on Microsoft to sleep on this one, holiday break or not.
Slow uptake during Vista’s first month
Windows Vista has been on the market for nearly a month now, but business users and industry experts in the US agree that Microsoft's latest and greatest OS still isn't yet ready to replace XP. The problem is not with the software itself - by most accounts, Vista is technically solid - but with myriad peripheral issues that Microsoft must work out to take the pain out of using Vista. Take patching, for example. On December 12, Microsoft released an Internet Explorer 7 fix that improved the performance of IE's phishing filter. The software had been bogged down by websites with a large number of frames, and users had been complaining.
Microsoft patched the problem for Windows XP and Server 2003 users, but not for Vista. That update will come after the consumer release of Vista hits the market some time in January, according to a spokeswoman for Microsoft's public relations agency. And although Microsoft is now issuing security patches for Vista, performance-related updates such as the phishing filter are being handled on a case-by-case basis, she said. Microsoft won't say why it is holding off on some Vista patches even though the product is commercially available for business customers, but Russ Cooper, a senior information security analyst at Cybertrust, has a theory.
Full story: PC Advisor
Slow uptake during Vista’s first month
Windows Vista has been on the market for nearly a month now, but business users and industry experts in the US agree that Microsoft's latest and greatest OS still isn't yet ready to replace XP. The problem is not with the software itself - by most accounts, Vista is technically solid - but with myriad peripheral issues that Microsoft must work out to take the pain out of using Vista. Take patching, for example. On December 12, Microsoft released an Internet Explorer 7 fix that improved the performance of IE's phishing filter. The software had been bogged down by websites with a large number of frames, and users had been complaining.
Microsoft patched the problem for Windows XP and Server 2003 users, but not for Vista. That update will come after the consumer release of Vista hits the market some time in January, according to a spokeswoman for Microsoft's public relations agency. And although Microsoft is now issuing security patches for Vista, performance-related updates such as the phishing filter are being handled on a case-by-case basis, she said. Microsoft won't say why it is holding off on some Vista patches even though the product is commercially available for business customers, but Russ Cooper, a senior information security analyst at Cybertrust, has a theory.
Full story: PC Advisor
Lab Tests: Vista’s Fast If You Have the Hardware
With Microsoft’s Windows Vista finally released to manufacturers and on the verge of making its way to retail, we can at last get down to the business of examining precisely how well the new OS performs. In our first tests, we discovered that while Vista’s hardware requirements may be steep, it should run just fine--even with the Aero bells and whistles active--on machines that meet Microsoft’s Premium Ready specifications (1GB of RAM, and a DirectX 9-capable graphics board with at least 128MB of dedicated memory).
We installed the RTM (release to manufacturing) Vista Ultimate code on desktop and notebook systems of varying specs and ages, and then we ran a series of benchmarks to answer several key questions about Vista’s impact on performance. Our main findings:
Vista is generally slower than XP, but it’s better at multitasking on dual-core PCs. Your PC should have 1GB of RAM at the bare minimum. Aero won’t slow you down if you use a discrete graphics processor and enough memory. Apps run slower on the 64-bit version of Vista, but adding RAM closes the gap.
Full story: Yahoo News
Lab Tests: Vista’s Fast If You Have the Hardware
With Microsoft’s Windows Vista finally released to manufacturers and on the verge of making its way to retail, we can at last get down to the business of examining precisely how well the new OS performs. In our first tests, we discovered that while Vista’s hardware requirements may be steep, it should run just fine--even with the Aero bells and whistles active--on machines that meet Microsoft’s Premium Ready specifications (1GB of RAM, and a DirectX 9-capable graphics board with at least 128MB of dedicated memory).
We installed the RTM (release to manufacturing) Vista Ultimate code on desktop and notebook systems of varying specs and ages, and then we ran a series of benchmarks to answer several key questions about Vista’s impact on performance. Our main findings:
Vista is generally slower than XP, but it’s better at multitasking on dual-core PCs. Your PC should have 1GB of RAM at the bare minimum. Aero won’t slow you down if you use a discrete graphics processor and enough memory. Apps run slower on the 64-bit version of Vista, but adding RAM closes the gap.
Full story: Yahoo News
Taking aim at Vista’s security
Bloggers, at least those sneaking away to their computers on Christmas weekend, are having fun with an article focusing on potentially serious security flaws in Microsoft's Windows Vista.
The article, which ran in The New York Times, focuses on a flaw first discovered by a Russian programmer in mid-December. That programmer's posting got a bit of attention at the time. But on Friday, Microsoft actually acknowledged that it is "closely monitoring" the vulnerability. Such an acknowledgment raises the profile of the flaw, which apparently makes it possible to increase a person's privileges on all of the company's recent operating systems, including Vista.
Some bloggers are positing the typical Microsoft-never-does-anything-right opinion. Others are saying that even Microsoft deserves a break when it comes to creating a new operating system.
Full story: c|net
Taking aim at Vista’s security
Bloggers, at least those sneaking away to their computers on Christmas weekend, are having fun with an article focusing on potentially serious security flaws in Microsoft's Windows Vista.
The article, which ran in The New York Times, focuses on a flaw first discovered by a Russian programmer in mid-December. That programmer's posting got a bit of attention at the time. But on Friday, Microsoft actually acknowledged that it is "closely monitoring" the vulnerability. Such an acknowledgment raises the profile of the flaw, which apparently makes it possible to increase a person's privileges on all of the company's recent operating systems, including Vista.
Some bloggers are positing the typical Microsoft-never-does-anything-right opinion. Others are saying that even Microsoft deserves a break when it comes to creating a new operating system.
Full story: c|net
Microsoft Defends RSS Patent Applications
Microsoft says its two applications for RSS-related patents do not alter the company's commitment to support the standards-based format for online distribution of news and blogs. The discovery of the patents last week led to conjecture among tech bloggers that the software company could someday try to seek payment for use of its technology, which is related to receiving and organizing news feeds through a Web browser. However, Sean Lyndersay, program manager lead of Microsoft's RSS efforts, said in his blog over the weekend that the patent applications are in line with "common industry practice, and one which, by incenting and protecting the companies and people involved, encourages everyone to contribute to the community."
Indeed, it's common practice for tech companies to seek patents for their work to prevent lawsuits from others who may developer similar technologies. The patents do not necessarily mean the companies plan to seek licensing fees from others. Lyndersay denied, as some bloggers asserted, that Microsoft was claiming to have invented RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication. Developer Dave Winer is credited as a lead contributor to the technology. Rather than try to usurp the work in RSS, Microsoft has always sought "an open and reasonable relationship with the RSS community," Lyndersay said, pointing to the company's publication of various RSS extensions under a Creative Commons license.
Full story: InformatioWeek
Microsoft Defends RSS Patent Applications
Microsoft says its two applications for RSS-related patents do not alter the company's commitment to support the standards-based format for online distribution of news and blogs. The discovery of the patents last week led to conjecture among tech bloggers that the software company could someday try to seek payment for use of its technology, which is related to receiving and organizing news feeds through a Web browser. However, Sean Lyndersay, program manager lead of Microsoft's RSS efforts, said in his blog over the weekend that the patent applications are in line with "common industry practice, and one which, by incenting and protecting the companies and people involved, encourages everyone to contribute to the community."
Indeed, it's common practice for tech companies to seek patents for their work to prevent lawsuits from others who may developer similar technologies. The patents do not necessarily mean the companies plan to seek licensing fees from others. Lyndersay denied, as some bloggers asserted, that Microsoft was claiming to have invented RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication. Developer Dave Winer is credited as a lead contributor to the technology. Rather than try to usurp the work in RSS, Microsoft has always sought "an open and reasonable relationship with the RSS community," Lyndersay said, pointing to the company's publication of various RSS extensions under a Creative Commons license.
Full story: InformatioWeek
Security flaws cloud horizon for Vista operating system
SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Chinks have been found in the armor of new Vista software that Microsoft has touted as the safest operating system it ever designed, a computer security firm said. Determina Security Research, in Silicon Valley, said it notified Microsoft of half a dozen software vulnerabilities, including potential for hackers to take administrative control of computers."The vulnerable code is present in all versions of Windows up to and including Windows Vista," Determina warned in a security bulletin on its website.
A Russian programmer that also discovered the potential to exploit a Vista weakness to gain access to computer systems published the information on the Internet on December 15. Microsoft is working to patch Vista, according to Determina. A business version of Vista was released in November and is to be available for the home computer market on January 30. Hackers could invade Vista-based computers by sending booby trapped emails or tricking people into visiting websites that secretly plant malicious codes on their machines, according to Determina.
There were no reports of hackers taking advantage of the weakness in any Windows operating systems.