IBM's SP2 flip-flop

Microsoft's press release touting the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2 has the kind of bells and whistles one would expect from a press release long in the making. Not only is there the obligatory comment from Bill Gates, but there are also quotes from executives throughout the tech world--people from America Online, Dell and CompUSA, to name a few. The most interesting, though, was a quote from Microsoft rival (but no-longer-a-true-enemy) Sun Microsystems.

"To ensure they have the latest updates and innovations, we encourage Windows XP customers to get Windows XP Service Pack 2 and download Java technology from Java.com," said Jeff Jackson, Sun's vice president of Java Developer Platform and Strategy. "The professional, constructive relationship we've developed with Microsoft has already benefited our joint customers by ensuring compatibility between these two technologies."

There was also a quote from an IBM executive, saying the company is "glad to see Microsoft take new steps to improve the security of Windows." Interesting, considering that the company's internal technology department sent out a memo telling Big Blue workers not to install the upgrade on their computers because of compatibility concerns.