Microsoft

With Windows 7 reaching the near-final stage and due out later this year, lots of folks are trying to get their heads around the next version of the operating system.

I've gotten a lot of questions from readers, mostly centered on key issues such as what Windows 7 has to offer, whether it will work with their existing software, and if they should buy a PC now or wait for Microsoft to offer Windows 7, or at least a free upgrade.

In this post, I will try to tackle some of those issues.

"Will programs that didn't … Read more

Since 2002 when Microsoft introduced Windows XP, its signature operating system has proved to have more stamina than anybody would have originally thought. Despite missteps in Vista, that OS still managed to introduce useful new features, and set the stage for Windows 7.

This chart provides a rundown of some of the major features introduced in each Windows iteration, as well as a quick look at the minimum hardware requirements for XP, Vista, and 7. Keep in mind that Windows 7 is still in its testing phase, though it's not expected that other major features will debut before it'… Read more

Microsoft introduced the second beta of its Geneva identity-management server platform on Monday, with new features including compatibility with SharePoint 2007 and Microsoft Federation Gateway.

The announcement was made at Microsoft's TechEd conference, which is being held in Los Angeles this week. The first beta was announced in October 2008, with a final release scheduled for the second half of 2009.

Geneva is designed to be an open platform for providing user access to applications and systems, whether they are located on an organization's own premises or on remote infrastructure. It is based on standards such as WS-Federation, … Read more

CAMBRIDGE, England--At Microsoft Research's open day here recently, a certain line was heavily promoted. That line: fundamental research helps generate new technologies that give companies competitive advantages.

In some cases, that's unarguable. If Intel shut down its research, it would die overnight. But what would happen if Microsoft stopped doing research? Based on the researchers' demonstrations, I see the answer as not very much.

The ideas on show at the site in Cambridge, while good and interesting, did not address Microsoft's core problems, nor even any of its minor ones. There was research into ecological systems, into … Read more

Microsoft announced on Monday that it's planning to release Windows 7 for the 2009 holiday season. The operating system was originally slated for a January 2010 release.

Now that we finally have an idea when Microsoft will be releasing Windows 7, we can project its financial impact on the company. But we need to be careful. We don't know how the market will accept Windows 7. And we still aren't sure if the enterprise market will adopt it for existing machines.

Looking at past figures, we can develop an understanding of the impact Windows launches--and especially that of Windows Vista--have had on Microsoft's financial state and project that forward.

How important is Windows to Microsoft's financial performance? Will the Windows 7 launch play an important role in Microsoft's financial performance over the long term?

Let's take a look:… Read more

Microsoft confirmed on Monday that it is planning to release Windows 7 this year, in time for the holiday shopping season.

"We are tracking well to a Windows 7 holiday," Microsoft Senior Vice President Bill Veghte said in an interview. Veghte plans to make a similar statement in a speech Monday at Microsoft's TechEd event in Los Angeles. As recently as January, Veghte was saying publicly that such a release was not a sure thing.

At the event, Microsoft is also announcing it plans to wrap up work on an update to its server operating system--Windows Server … Read more

Microsoft said that the next version of its SQL Server database, to be called SQL Server 2008 R2, will work with up to 256 logical processors as well as add a set of business intelligence capabilities previously known as Kilimanjaro.

The software maker had previously described Kilimanjaro as an add-on to SQL Server 2008, but not a new version. In an interview, though, Microsoft's Robert Wahbe said Kilimanjaro will indeed be a new version of the product, though it will share the same code base as SQL Server 2008.

"It is new capabilities but it is also a … Read more

Those attending Microsoft's TechEd event will not only get to hear about Office 2010, they will also be among the first to get to try it out.

Microsoft said Monday that it will launch an invitation-only Technical Preview Program of the new Office in July, and said that those at this week's Microsoft conference in Los Angeles will be among the first to get to kick the tires on the new version of Microsoft's flagship software.

Whereas Office 2007 introduced new file formats and a major overhaul of the user interface, Office 2010 is a more modest … Read more

Microsoft on Monday filed to issue debt that could see the company raising billions in additional capital.

The filing, which was made with the Securities and Exchange Commission, doesn't specify an amount to be raised.

In September, Microsoft's board authorized the company to issue up to $6 billion in debt. It has already issued $2 billion in short-term debt, known as commercial paper. Given that, Microsoft could potentially issue $4 billion as part of the new debt offering, which is structured as a three-part offering, with varying maturity dates.

The company did not specifically say what it would … Read more