One of Microsoft's vaunted goals back in the early 1990s was to provide "information at your fingertips," as pronounced by Bill Gates in a famous Comdex keynote speech in 1990. And despite whether you think Microsoft has met that goal, the emergence of the Web unquestionably gave us a huge amount of information very quickly.
But although the Web is faster than older, paper-based research, it isn't all quite "at your fingertips." Typically, you have to open a browser window, go to a search site, type in your query, and so on. I was reminded of all this by some new versions of a couple of very neat utilities.
Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday gave an assessment of the challenges it faces, including the threat posed by Linux and open-source software. In a teleconference with the media and analysts on Tuesday to present the Redmond, Wash., company's third-quarter financial results John Connors, Microsoft's chief financial officer, said Microsoft is still committed to the broad range of investments it deemed imperative at the start of the year to secure the company's long-term health.
But the company is in a far better financial position ending the current financial year than it was at the outset of the year. And while from a macroeconomic standpoint the company is exiting a difficult year and entering one of uncertainty, its revenue has held up well so far in fiscal 2003, he said.
Hacker attacks and viruses are the hobgoblins of Windows systems--and they spook IT buyers. At the RSA Conference on computer security in San Francisco Monday, Microsoft execs said they plan to banish some of those problems by expanding their patch-distribution service, enabling better antivirus scans of Windows apps, and cracking down on E-mail-borne viruses.
During the next year, Microsoft execs say, the company plans to release a second version of its Software Update Services--which lets systems administrators download and apply Windows patches--that can distribute patches for additional Microsoft software, including Office, Exchange Server, and SQL Server.
Testers of Microsoft's upcoming MSN 8.5 release received an updated beta version this week containing small tweaks and minor interface adjustments. As reported by BetaNews, Microsoft opened the MSN 8.5 beta program last month, inviting current subscribers to join the test.
MSN 8.5 will serve as an interim upgrade before the full release of MSN 9 debuts this Fall. AOL also recently issued a fresh version of its client software dubbed AOL 8.0 Plus, and is beta testing an additional update code-named "Blue Hawaii."
Both Microsoft and AOL have recently pushed for more frequent software updates, offering up new features to combat dwindling subscriber bases due to broadband.
Mainfreight has turned to Microsoft's new Windows Server 2003 and .Net technology to build an online freight-tracking system. The $250,000 application, called Mainchain, was developed by South Auckland company Designer Technology. It links 11 databases and systems in several countries. Mainfreight IT manager Kevin Drinkwater said Mainchain gave the company the information it needed without having to alter back-end systems or buy expensive supply chain applications. "We didn't want to develop another database and .Net gave us that ability," Drinkwater said.
Microsoft and Landmark Theatres are teaming up in a deal that could eventually render the chain's cinemas devoid of celluloid. The Redmond software giant and Los Angeles-based Landmark said this month they are outfitting all of Landmark's 53 U.S. theaters and 177 screens with systems to receive and play back movies encoded in Microsoft's Windows Media 9 digital technology.
Landmark is a major exhibitor of foreign, arts-house and independently produced films. The company said the installation can help provide the wider audience sought by filmmakers who, striving to cut costs, want to release their films digitally.
Predicting a continued show of strength despite a still-weak economy, Microsoft yesterday reported solid results for the third quarter of its fiscal 2003 ended March 31.
"Fragile consumer confidence and general weakness in the global economy make the environment pretty challenging, but we just have to invest and execute for the long term," Chief Financial Officer John Connors said during a conference call yesterday.
"We are happy to turn in results that were in line with or slightly better than what we predicted in January." The world's largest software company reported net income of $2.79 billion, or 26 cents a share, on revenue of $7.84 billion.
Normally available only to subscribers, three CD images comprising the April 2003 MSDN Library have been posted by Microsoft for public download. The MSDN Library contains documentation, code samples, technical articles and reference guides designed for Microsoft developers.
The posting follows last week's release of the final version of Visual Studio .NET 2003 to MSDN subscribers. Formerly code-named Everett, Visual Studio .NET 2003 includes the .NET Framework version 1.1, which adds improved performance and scalability. For mobile developers, the Visual Studio update now supports the .NET Compact Framework and includes integrated ASP.NET Web forms.
The shape is shifting for tablet PCs as manufacturers test computer buyers' tolerance for offbeat designs. Manufacturers are experimenting with the form and size of tablet PCs, portable computers that let users write on the screen and draw pictures. Toshiba, for instance, is working on a slate-style tablet design that's about the size of a large postcard, while Intel researchers have put together what they call the "micro tablet," a full-fledged PC that is about the size of two credit cards.
Meanwhile, other companies such as Motion Computing are looking in the other direction and aim to bring out tablets with 14-inch screens, two inches larger than the largest ones on the market in the more immediate future.
Microsoft has shielded itself from a prolonged tech sector slump over the past year with a new pricing plan that cushioned sales, but analysts say the software giant may start to feel some pain as the one-off benefits start to fade.
As a result, when Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, reports quarterly earnings on Tuesday, many investors are braced for it to offer a cautious outlook for its next fiscal year ended June 2004; further confirmation that technology spending remains constrained.
"Really the two key things that are going to be the focus are Microsoft's commentary on the PC market and PC shipments and their fiscal 2004 outlook," said Jason Kraft, analyst at A.G. Edwards,