Microsoft - Security, Law & the Future
NeoWin | at | by Mike
Microsoft & Security
This month Microsoft announced that it was going into a lockdown to examine existing code for security flaws. Some say that it is a long time coming; others dismiss it as a PR stunt. Hopefully, MS is serious about it. Already we are seeing patches and updates for everything from XP to Messenger. My hope is that Microsoft is sincere in their efforts to produce tighter, more secure software and that it becomes one of the main focuses of the company for future developments as well. If this happens everyone will benefit. People will be more comfortable buying the latest software and that is a great thing for consumers, as well as the company.
Microsoft & the Law
We all know that Microsoft is in deep with the DOJ. Last week it was announced that MS would have to hand over its code for the lawyers to inspect. They want to see if they intentionally wrote code to mesh Windows with other programs (e.g. Internet Explorer). Now while I agree that MS has been anti-competitive and unethical in areas, this seems a bit out of control. The code is their intellectual property (either by creation or purchase), one that is the bedrock of their company. A leak of this information could wreak havoc on the company and possible future developments. Microsoft has to be careful with this one, and I hope they fight it tooth and nail.