Microsoft

For more quarters than I can remember now, Microsoft's server and tools unit has been the company's shining star. While desktop Windows and Office still provide the bulk of revenue and profits, it's the server business that has been the fastest growing of Microsoft's big businesses.

That may continue to be the case, but in an interview on Tuesday, Microsoft's server and tools boss, Bob Muglia, said that the business is definitely feeling the heat from the global economic slowdown.

"Servers are probably growing flat, 1 (percent), 2 percent sorts of numbers," Muglia … Read more

Hot on the heels of launching its Web news-tracking service Political Streams, the Live Labs team at Microsoft has released a tool called Thumbtack. Similar to Listas, a previous Microsoft Live Labs project, Thumbtack lets users grab chunks of information from Web pages and store it in the cloud.

These chunks of information can be tagged and strewn about canvas pages as self contained ecosystems of content. Users can go in to edit them at any time and invite others to view their work. There is, however, no real-time collaboration, meaning that your collection can be shared, but not worked … Read more

Microsoft will have a bunch of stuff to show at the Consumer Electronics Show in January, but a rumored ZunePhone won't be one of them, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.

Instead, much of CEO Steve Ballmer's focus will be on talking about Windows 7 from a consumer perspective. Microsoft is pushing to have Windows 7 done in time for the holiday 2009 shopping season, so that means this CES is Ballmer's best stage to tout its benefits.

While the desktop operating system will be front and center, sources say to expect Ballmer to … Read more

A major Yahoo shareholder is reportedly pushing for the company to renew discussion with Microsoft for a deal over its search business, CNBC reported Wednesday.

Ivory Investment Management, a hedge fund based in Los Angeles that owns 1.5 percent of Yahoo, is expected to release a letter Wednesday outlining its plan, which could result in as much as $15 billion from Microsoft, CNBC said.

Officials from Ivory could not immediately be reached for comment.

The Microsoft-Yahoo saga has been a long one. Last month, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer finally said that the company was "done with all acquisition discussions with Yahoo,&… Read more

Anyone thinking about cutting security spending to save money during the recession should read a copy of the new Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) report titled "Securing Cyberspace for the 44th President." The report outlines a pattern of persistent attacks which are no match for our vulnerable Internet infrastructure. For those who can't or won't take the time to read this report, try listening to the recently aired cybersecurity discussion on the National Public Radio show On Point.

The message here echoes my somewhat infamous tagline: "information security is far worse than you … Read more

Microsoft on Tuesday released its December 2008 security bulletin. The "critical" bulletins affect Windows GDI, Word, Excel, Internet Explorer and Windows Search. The "important" updates affect SharePoint and Windows Media Components.

Microsoft is including within each bulletin an "exploitability index" to help system administrators prioritize the patches. All Microsoft security patches for both Windows and Office software are available via Microsoft Update or via the individual bulletins detailed below.

MS08-070: Critical

Exploitability index: 1-2. Microsoft recommends that customers apply the update immediately. Titled "Vulnerabilities in Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime Extended Files (ActiveX … Read more

Apparently, saving the world isn't taking up all of Jeff Raikes' time.

The former Microsoft executive and current CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is joining the board of directors of Costco Wholesale, the giant retail chain.

"We are very pleased to welcome Jeff as a new member of our board. Not only does Jeff bring over 25 years of private sector experience, he also brings his reputation as a trusted and respected leader," Costco Chairman Jeff Brotman said in a statement.

Raikes announced his plans to leave Microsoft in January and was named CEO of the Gates Foundation … Read more

It's probably not enough of a selling point to make buyers out of the operating system's critics, but Microsoft will start selling boxed copies of Windows Vista in a Product Red edition.

Starting later this month, customers will be able to purchase Windows Vista Ultimate in a version that offers some proceeds to Product Red, a charity that works to fight AIDS in Africa.

The Windows version is not entirely new, having been sold on several models of Dell PCs since early this year. In addition to providing some cash to the AIDS charity, the Red version of … Read more

Will we soon be calling Microsoft a "fashion giant" in addition to a "software giant"? OK, that's probably stretching it, but the company is launching a new line of graphic T-shirts called "Softwear by Microsoft." Yep, you read that right. Microsoft is getting into the clothing business.

AdvertisingAge tells us the line is meant to evoke the '80s, a seminal time in the history of PCs. As such, the shirts will feature designs including retro MS-DOS fonts and a mugshot of a young Bill Gates. Just pair them with acid-washed jeans and a … Read more