muglia

Microsoft's Muglia: IT budgets are 'cramped'

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

Hardly a great time to talk H-1Bs. Still, it's time

What with pink slips being handed out all over this country, now is probably the worst time for any political leader to urge a rethinking of our H-1B policy to lift the 65,000 annual limits on foreign guest workers in specialty occupations. It's not the sort of political stance that will play well in Peoria - or in many other places in the U.S. these days.

But it must be said: Maintaining the status quo on H-1B is the best news that China, India, Russia or any other would-be economic superpower could ever want to hear. The … Read more

Microsoft scoops up data warehousing firm

REDMOND, Wash.--Amid its analyst meeting, Microsoft on Thursday announced a small acquisition, scooping up Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based Datallegro, a data warehousing firm. Financial details were not disclosed.

Speaking at the meeting, server and tools unit head Bob Muglia said that the acquisition will help the company reach the highest-end enterprise data stores, even reaching higher than Oracle can get today.

"We've never been able to do that before," Muglia said.

In a blog about the acquisition, Forrester Research analyst James Kobielus said: "This deal sets the stage for what will surely be a period … Read more

Exploring Windows Server's Vista ties

Updated 10:55 a.m. with clarification from Microsoft that Hyper-V standalone is not scheduled to ship until sometime in the second half of 2008, contrary to what Muglia stated.

Microsoft is getting ready for what it calls its biggest IT launch in history.

I'm not sure everyone will agree with that notion, but the launch of Windows Server 2008 and the next version of Visual Studio is clearly an important one for Microsoft, given that the server and tools unit has been one of Microsoft's fastest-growing businesses in terms of sales and profits. (Microsoft is also "… Read more

IBM grants broad patent rights; maybe Microsoft should follow suit?

IBM continues to make waves, this time announcing:

IBM is granting universal and perpetual access to intellectual property that might be necessary to implement standards designed to make software interoperable. IBM will not assert any patent rights to its technologies featured in these standards. The company believes its move in this space is the largest of its kind....

Among the technologies included on IBM's list, accessible here, are various standards pertaining to SOAP, SAML, XML Schema and Service Component Architecture. WS-* specifications are featured as well.

Bob Sutor writes on his blog:… Read more