System admins will find much to enjoy in the way of Vista treats for IT

It's like I'm the producer of the Die Hard series -- or maybe Robert Jordan and the Wheel of Time and Endless Sequels -- you always need one more. My previous two columns focused on my own in-office experiences with Vista RC2. But naturally, because Microsoft was kind enough not to limit the license keys too much, I didn't hog the code all to myself. I also let a couple of my front-line systems administrators take a good look at -- you know, the guys who actually know stuff. So their feedback is what I'm calling "Vista Treats for IT."

Vista's coming along, but security and app-support questions remain

I started a two-part series in my previous column on living in Vista RC2 for a week. I haven't stopped using it yet, so it's actually been two and a half weeks, but who's counting?

With its high hardware requirement and simply nice features, XP's successor's not worth rushing into

I just finished previewing Vista Release Candidate 1 for the Test Center, and I suddenly realized I’m more underwhelmed than I anticipated. A few months ago, in this very column, I used the adjective revolutionary instead of evolutionary. I’m changing my mind.

Microsoft says threat to Vista's signature-checking process is 'legitimate'

After security researcher Joanna Rutkowska demonstrated Thursday how it's possible to circumvent security in Microsoft's Vista beta software and install a rootkit called Blue Pill, Microsoft said it intends to find ways to stop both potential threats before Vista ships.

Cranky columnist finds a thousand points of blight

I’ve figured out the true cause of global warming. It’s not oil, coal, or that cloud of superheated air rising over Washington. It’s the lithium-ion batteries inside Dell notebooks. More photos of Dell’s Dell's burning hunks of love have appeared on the Net, along with reports that Dell may have concealed evidence of “dozens” of such machines when it recalled 35,000 notebook batteries last December. And that sickly sweet burning smell? That’s the last of Dell’s reputation going up in flames.

An executive said Thursday that Vista remains on track, but Microsoft won't ship it until the company thinks it's ready

Microsoft continues to give itself room to further delay the release of Windows Vista.

Symantec report suggests Windows' new code will introduce new security problems

Microsoft's Vista developers can't catch a break these days. After years of warnings from security researchers that old code in Windows was creating security risks, the software giant decided to rewrite key parts of the operating system.

Ignoring rev timeline dates smacks of shirked responsibility to users

As soon as Tobey Maguire gets bit by that radioactive spider and starts swinging around on gross-looking web thingies, his uncle has that quote that defines his future: “With great power comes great responsibility.” The big M needs to adopt that philosophy, too.

Exec says next milestone in antitrust agreement is one week away

European Commission fines levied against Microsoft Corp. won't affect the launch of Windows Vista, the head of the software maker's Japanese unit said Thursday.

Redmond giant will show off forthcoming OS's security features at conference in Kuala Lumpur

Microsoft Corp. plans to give a hacker conference in Asia an inside look at new security features on Windows Vista later this year, the organizer of the event said Tuesday.

Company to release device for Vista, Windows Live later this year as part of a desktop package

Microsoft Corp.'s hardware division is developing a slim wireless keyboard that will make it easier for users to access Windows Live services and features in its Windows Vista OS.

Project Glidepath program for ISVs set to launch

Microsoft plans to unveil Project Glidepath, a program to help small ISVs get up to speed on the planned Windows Vista operating system and .Net Framework 3.0, according to Microsoft blogs.

Server admins' hopes fade as better Windows file system management goes the way of the dodo

It was what Microsoft described as one of the "pillars" of the Vista/Longhorn platform. It had geeks excited because it was more than just a smarter version of FAT32 or NTFS -- it combined relational data technology with local and network operating system concepts. It was ambitious. It was delayed. It was removed from Longhorn to be developed as its own platform. It was WinFS.

For Windows IT managers, Longhorn is a must-have upgrade

Microsoft has been managing our expectations of Longhorn like a barker for Barnum & Bailey. What it has lacked in loud music and snarling 500-pound felines, it has made up for with lavish trade events, platform unveilings, and the occasional banana-snarfing, 800-pound-gorilla technology.

The Windows Server 2003 version of Active Directory, although improved, is still tough sledding. The Longhorn version could be a big change for the better

Just as Windows Server 2003 made significant improvements to Active Directory, Longhorn promises to follow suit. When AD was first deployed under Windows 2000, managing a Windows domain became much easier. With Server 2003, Microsoft kicked it up a notch, adding such functionality as group editing, simpler object editing, and a more fluid management interface. But AD was still far from a glowing example of form and function.

Much was promised to enrich the development environment for Microsoft programmers. And despite platform delays, much has already been delivered

Twenty-eight months since my last report on Microsoft’s .Net technology suite, it’s interesting to see what’s changed and what hasn’t. The desktop version of the Longhorn OS was renamed Vista, but its release status remains the same: beta. Of the three .Net-oriented “pillars of Longhorn” -- Avalon, Indigo, and WinFS -- two are renamed (Avalon to Windows Presentation Foundation and Indigo to Windows Communication Foundation) but none have shipped, and WinFS has been pushed post-Vista.

Move intended to boost PC sales despite the delay in Vista's release

Microsoft Corp. confirmed Thursday that it will offer a customer promotion for Windows Vista to prepare for the holiday shopping season in November and December. The move is aimed at ensuring PC sales remain strong despite Vista's delay in shipping until next year.

Crypto signatures part of future app reputation services

Microsoft has plans to introduce stronger security for third-party applications that run on future versions of Windows, including "Vienna," the planned successor to Windows Vista. 

Although not without its shortcomings, the next version of Windows will bring big changes to the desktop and beyond

Since Part One of my little Vista venture last week, I've received a few not-so-nice e-mails from folks telling me to make sure I prove to them that Vista will really be revolutionary rather than evolutionary. For the most part, that's a subjective term. If you're a rabid, anti-Redmond Penguin palooka, nothing will seem revolutionary. But for folks moving from Windows XP to Vista, you're really going to see a difference.

Vista's support for multiple displays set to change the look of future laptops

Three years ago, former Intel Chief Executive Officer Craig Barrett used his keynote speech at the Intel Developer Forum to show the company's vision of what future laptops will look like.

Next full beta version of Microsoft's operating system is due in late August

Microsoft on Wednesday launched its widest release yet of the beta version of the Windows Vista operating system.

A slick interface, cool features, stronger security, and more make for a promising new version of Windows

I'm obstinate. It's a character flaw. But it's deeply ingrained, so when everyone started pumping out Vista Beta 2 reviews I was determined to hold my head up high and not bother. Until someone in command pointedly asked me why I'd ignore something like that if the column's purpose was Windows in the enterprise.

It has said many of its Live services will be connected to Windows Vista, but has not clearly articulated how that makes the OS more valuable to users

Microsoft's Live Labs has launched two security-related Web-based services, one for providing authentication and another for connecting P-to-P (peer-to-peer) applications through network firewalls.

Microsoft release updates for Vista, Office, Longhorn

Microsoft pulled off what might be the software development world’s equivalent of horse racing’s exotic trifecta last week, releasing beta versions of three major products simultaneously at the its annual Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC).

Also: Readers weigh in on a world without Microsoft

Do you have a hack you’re particularly proud of? (And by hack I mean an ingenious fix-it job that may not follow established procedures but gets the task done.) I ask because this week’s cover story, “Heroic Hacks and Inspired Work-arounds” (page 26), relates six seat-of-the-pants hacks that saved the day when a company was in a pickle. These enterprising enterprise rescues, from the case files of three InfoWorld contributing editors, are all variations on a theme — how to solve a problem using smarts, a certain twisted logic, and the tools at hand.

Grumpy gossip hound examines his hardware and finds it wanting

Microsoft recently announced the hardware requirements for Vista, and the answer is: more than you got. PCs that meet the minimum specs will be dubbed “Vista Capable” -- which, if history is any indication, means they’ll run slower than a three-legged Saint Bernard. Machines with enough oomph to chew through Vista’s groovy graphics will be called “Premium Ready.” And if you buy a new PC before Vista ships? Sorry, no free OS upgrades. That’s sure to boost sales this holiday season.

A sneak peek at MOSS 2007 reveals that the latest cycle of Office may be worth the upgrade hassle

See correction below

Either company could win the Symantec-Microsoft dispute, but you and I will certainly lose

I had planned to write about another topic this week, but it will have to wait -- last week's news has me revisiting Symantec and its storage machinations.

The free subscription gives Vista beta users access to daily virus updates and Web-based technical support in a bid to entice new customers

CA  is offering free antivirus software to protect the latest Beta 2 release of Microsoft's Vista operating system.

Microsoft's money is on releasing all the beta products at once to allow customers to see how the products can be used together

In an unprecedented move, Microsoft simultaneously placed its bet on the release on Tuesday of beta versions of its three major upcoming software releases -- Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Windows Server, code-named Longhorn.

Many analysts and users still aren't clear what kind of PC to buy to get ready for upcoming OS

Customers who want more information about what PCs will require to run Windows Vista will get some, but not much, from Microsoft at the company's conference for hardware engineers next week.

Symantec says Microsoft wrongfully used Veritas storage technology

Symantec Corp. has asked a U.S. court to order a halt to the development of Windows Vista, claiming that its rival is wrongfully incorporating Veritas storage technology into its next-generation OS.

Company launches "Get Ready" Web site to address requirements for low-end, high-end versions of Vista

Microsoft Corp. has launched a Web site outlining the minimum hardware requirements for the next version of the Windows OS, Windows Vista.

Enterprise reality could dampen Vista's shock

As Microsoft slouches toward its first full operating system release in five years, code-named “Vista,” Microsoft-watchers are beginning to debate the impact of the system’s security enhancements, which could be more pain than gain.

New security features will make for disruptive user experience, Yankee Group warns

Vista's new security features will make for such a disruptive user experience that business users might want to steer clear of the operating system for the time being, according to Yankee Group.

The general release of the OS will come un about April 2007 if all goes well, the report said

A research note released this week from Gartner Inc. predicts that Microsoft Corp. will miss its target to ship Windows Vista on PCs by January 2007. According to Gartner, Vista won't be broadly available to customers until the second quarter of 2007

Note to OS X users: If it ain't broke, don't break it

Editor's note: The management would like to announce that the next major rev of Notes From the Field (to be called A Vista From the Pasture) will not be ready for publication later this year as scheduled. However, future issues of InfoWorld will sport a “Cringely Capable” sticker, so that when it becomes available, readers may be able to install it into the magazine or Web site. In the interim, we bring you the more of the usual crapola.

Starting next month, PCs with stickers saying "Windows Vista Capable" will be in stores, letting customers know what hardware can be upgraded once it is available

Even though Windows Vista won't be available until next year, Microsoft Corp. is working with hardware partners to prepare customers for its release. Starting next month, PCs with stickers saying "Windows Vista Capable" will be in stores, letting customers know what hardware can be upgraded to Vista once it is available, the company said Friday.

Struggling software colossus seeks chimps off the old block

In a move that shocked practically no one, Microsoft says it won’t be shipping its new Vista OS until well after Santa has come and gone -- leaving a lump of coal in the stockings of PC makers hoping to move hardware over the holidays. This was immediately followed by a major shake-up of the Windows development team. Rumor has it Ballmer fired the entire Vista programming staff and hired several thousand monkeys to finish the coding. Now here’s a perfect market opportunity for somebody to swoop in with a low-cost, lightweight, easy-to-use, reliable, and secure desktop OS. And by “somebody,” of course, I mean Google. Maybe it could lure a few of the smarter chimps away from Redmond for the job.

Excerpts from two top 10 lists can take some of the anxiety out of buying new products

In my experience, most Top 10 lists have only four worthwhile items. Three others are marginal, and the last three are truly worthless, made up in a rush to round out the list. This week I put this assumption to the test by examining two recent Top 10 lists from analysts: I’ll try to pick out the best four, and spare you the fillers.

The action came as the company's top lawyers arrived in Brussels to make a final attempt to convince regulators not to impose daily fines

As it makes a final effort during two days of hearings to avert daily fines of up to €2 million ($2.4 million) in its ongoing antitrust fight with the European Commission, Microsoft has received sympathy, if not support, from a powerful friend: The U.S. government.

EU concerned over Microsoft's plans to bundle an Internet search function and DRM program

The European Commission has laid out specific antitrust concerns it has about Vista, Microsoft Corp.'s long-awaited new operating system, Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd said Wednesday.

Study also shows desktops are losing ground to laptops in the U.S.

Microsoft's delay in shipping its Windows Vista operating system won't put a big dent in PC sales, although growth for the PC industry is going to slow in the coming years, IDC predicted this week.

Gates admits letting IE languish was a mistake, looks ahead at a brave new world of Web apps with or without Vista

Microsoft intended last week’s first-ever Mix 06 show to be a coming-out party for the company’s next-generation Web app dev plan. But the show may be better remembered for Microsoft’s sudden announcement of the delay of Windows Vista until January 2007.

Beta testers familiar with plans to release Vista test versions contradict Microsoft, saying the ship date has been pushed back two months, not weeks

More delays in the release schedule for Windows Vista revealed Friday hint that problems with getting the OS out the door may be broader than Microsoft has articulated.

Hardware components for Microsoft's latest upgrade are already in place

A delay in the latest upgrade to Microsoft's popular OS, Vista, won't impact PC hardware makers very much in terms of technology because no matter when the software comes out, hardware components will already be in place, a DRAM (dynamic RAM) executive said Thursday.

Business editions will come earlier, but consumer versions of Office will now be sold starting in January 2007, to follow Vista

The delay in Windows Vista will affect the next version of Office, too. Microsoft said Thursday it will put off the consumer release of Office 2007 so it is in line with the new release schedule for Vista.

Questions about core product lines led -- including that Windows Vista would be delayed until after the holidays -- dragged down share prices

Greater-than-expected costs of doing business on the Web and a predicted decline in PC sales have put pressure on Internet and hardware companies lately. This week, it was software's turn in the spotlight for IT investors.

It may only be March, but moving to the newest version of Windows takes serious planning

Office 2003 to Office 2007. Windows XP Pro to Windows Vista x-of-6. It's all looming on the horizon, and even though that horizon moved to early 2007 as of this week, it's still going to spawn headaches if you don't make adequate preparations. To avoid ruining your Fall, you're best off planning your user-migration process now rather than in, say, November.

Analyst expects later shipping date to push sales back into early next year, but not to markedly impact overall results

PC vendors were putting on a brave face Wednesday in the wake of news from Microsoft Corp. that the consumer version of the Windows Vista operating system would not ship in time for pre-loaded machines to reach retail shelves in time for this year's holiday shopping boom.

Senior vice president of Office to take over Jim Allchin's duties overseeing the whole of Windows development

Microsoft Corp. plans to appoint Steve Sinofsky as the new head of its Windows development team in the wake of the shipping delay of Windows Vista that was announced yesterday, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Joe Belfiore, vice president of Microsoft's eHome division, said developers can build Gadgets for hardware OEMs to pre-install on computers running Vista once it ships this year

Developers have an opportunity to derive revenue from developing mini-applications, called Gadgets, for Microsoft's Windows Vista OS, a company executive said at MIX 06 Tuesday.

Not even the upgrade headaches of Vista seem likely to counter Windows' inertia

Major software updates are always disruptive, and with as many as six separate SKUs for the U.S. market alone, Windows Vista will be no different. As if the launch plans for Vista weren't confusing enough, Microsoft execs have played up the steep hardware requirements of the operating system's bells and whistles, prompting many IT managers to wonder whether the upgrade might signal a jumping-off point for shops that have grown tired of life under Redmond's collective thumb.

Microsoft's plan to release six or more versions of its forthcoming OS could break the backs of IT administrators

Microsoft has detailed how its forthcoming Vista OS will appear, and the six-pronged view is raising the concern of enterprise IT managers. When it is released later this year, Vista will have six core editions: four aimed at consumers and two designed for the enterprise.

New Microsoft OS looks more and more like junk food

Great news: Microsoft is rolling out six flavors of vista when it appears later this millennium. Along with Vista Classic we’ll be able to choose from Vista Lite, Original Recipe, Extra Crispy, Hot-n-Spicy McVista, or Enterprise Supersized, which comes with an extra side of security flaws. Leave it to Redmond to keep things simple.

Microsoft faces a variety of hurdles that could deter companies from opting for the new OS

Now that Microsoft Corp. has finalized Windows Vista's six editions, the challenge at hand for the company is to encourage customers to upgrade once the new OS is available.

Better Active Directory integration and improved manageability boosts ISA 2006's perimeter role

Last week, I’m struggling for Redmond news; this week, it’s like they have a volcano up there or something. SMS (Systems Management Server) 2003 R2, a Vista Community Technology Preview, Commerce Server 2006 Beta, new announcements about SharePoint Server 2007 , a funeral for FrontPage, and a formal ISA (Internet Security and Acceleration) Server 2006 Beta announcement. Whew. Guess all those headlines about a Microsoft stock slump lit a fire under somebody’s booty.

Forthcoming OS is now considered to be feature-complete, company says

Microsoft Corp. is set to release a feature-complete test version of Windows Vista on Wednesday, an offering the company will encourage enterprises to deploy in preparation for the general availability of the operating systems later this year.

The Vista CTP due this week is the second in a three-phase Beta 2 cycle

Microsoft this week is expected to release another build of its Windows Vista OS, one that should be feature-complete according to a plan laid out by Jim Allchin, co-president of the Platforms, Products & Services Division, in January.

Update to Windows AntiSpyware causes it to recommend disabling two Symantec antivirus programs

A problem with an update to Microsoft's Windows AntiSpyware program last week caused it to recommend disabling two Symantec antivirus programs. Microsoft has now fixed the problem, it said Monday.

Several rivals have expressed concerns to the Commission about the upcoming OS but no formal complaints

Officials with the European Commission confirmed Friday that they are examining complaints lodged by rivals against Microsoft's Vista operating system due to be launched by the end of this year.

Concerns raised about PC makers' ability to customize Vista on first boot up

U.S. officials are looking into a complaint about Microsoft's upcoming Vista OS regarding its boot-up features as well as several other concerns, according to court documents filed in the U.S. on Wednesday.

Company doesn't comment, but says contest's video messages not proof of ship date

A Microsoft contest to guess Windows Vista's ship date hints that the product's release date could be Dec. 1, though the company itself is remaining characteristically mum on the topic.

Prizes available for winners first place through tenth place

In an effort to promote the next release of Windows Vista outside of the U.S., Microsoft Corp. is offering a chance for users in Europe and the Middle East to win prizes if they can guess the launch date of the next version of its Windows OS, according to a company Web site.

Lawsuit alleges Good's push e-mail services contain patented Visto technology

Visto has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Good Technology, saying its push e-mail services contain patented Visto technology. Visto will seek a permanent injunction against Good Technology's push e-mail service, which is used in several mobile devices, Visto said.

Microsoft promises network administrators new control over traffic going in and out of desktop systems

Microsoft is readying a new, highly configurable firewall for its upcoming Windows Vista operating system that is designed to give system administrators much greater control over which applications are allowed to run on the systems they manage.

A recap of the security upgrades in the next version of Windows shows better malware, spyware, and access control features throughout

I’ve been using several versions of Microsoft’s Windows Vista for the last few months. Although any beta’s feature set is not locked into stone until the release-to-manufacturing date, here’s a recap of some of the new security changes as I know them now.

Filtering both inbound and outbound traffic will give administrators greater control over which applications are allowed to run on their systems.

Microsoft is readying a new highly configurable firewall for its upcoming Windows Vista operating system that is designed to give administrators much greater control over which applications are allowed to run on the systems they manage.

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer blogger also reveals Feb. 21 release date for another Vista CTP

Microsoft will release the next beta of Windows Vista in April, according to a popular blog that follows the company.

Pieces of Microsoft's forthcoming OS, due late 2006, are falling into place

Key chunks of Vista, Microsoft’s next-gen version of Windows, are already landing in finished form, even though the new OS itself won’t arrive before the end of 2006. Last Wednesday, the company announced that release versions of WCF (Windows Communication Foundation) and WWF (Windows Workflow Foundation) were available for download on Microsoft Developer Network, ready for programmers to start building Vista-class apps on their current XP and Server 2003 systems.

Microsoft releases 'Go-Live' versions of Web services, workflow software

Setting the stage for its planned Windows Vista desktop OS, Microsoft on Wednesday will release production-ready versions of Web services and workflow technologies slated for inclusion in Vista.

Unlikely the release of SP3 was changed to manipulate users' adoption plans for Vista

Microsoft's plan to release a third service pack for Windows XP later than expected should not have much effect on sales of Windows Vista, the company's upcoming desktop upgrade, according to a market analyst.

CES marks the return of SPOT and the latest battleground in the war between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray

I'm still in bandages with several therapy sessions left to go, but I made it back from CES 2006 alive. For those who didn't go (and it seems like most of you did), the show was huge. Think Comdex during its heyday, just bigger. I went on the cut-rate special, which meant taking a cheap flight via US Airways and staying in a house with some of InfoWorld Senior Contributing Editor Brian Chee's buddies, who turned out to all be Jesuit priests. Fun bunch of guys -- and amazing drinkers, too. (Padre, thanks again for the berth.)

Next comsumer client version planned for later this year

Windows XP Media Center Edition OS may not yet be the standard home entertainment hub that Microsoft Corp. hopes it will be, but analysts said that could all change once the company releases the next consumer client version of the Windows OS later this year.

Useful new Windows utilities and password crackers will make this the year of recovery

I've discovered my dream job: CIO of Pebble Beach Resorts. I spent all last week there with the mostly glam fam, and it's definitely the place for me. Even Honolulu didn't relax me that much. (Then again, I'm working when I'm in Honolulu, not golfing and then lying around drinking in front of a giant fireplace -- but why burst my fantasy?) I'm sure Clint & Co. could use the talents of a widely versed technology analyst with the ability to manage others to do all the real work. (Think of me, guys. I’m not kidding. I work cheap.)

Documents with embarrassing data could be revealed to partners or customers, analyst firm says

Microsoft Corp. does not adequately address metadata management in its upcoming Windows Vista OS, posing risks that documents with potentially embarrassing data could inadvertently be revealed to customers or partners, Gartner Inc. warned in a report.

Company faces a challenge in convincing customers to upgrade to the next version of Windows

A research firm has identified its top 10 concerns facing Microsoft Corp. in 2006, putting the challenge of making Windows Vista appeal to enterprise customers at the top of the list.

Delays will cause complaints among subscribers to Microsoft's Software Assurance program

Microsoft's business customers may have come to expect delays in product releases, but the company is going to be under pressure over the next year to deliver its Vista OS on time.

Company is on track to make Windows Vista generally available in the second half of 2006

Microsoft Corp. is accelerating the development of the next version of its Windows client OS and plans to test a feature-complete version by early next year, a lead on the Windows Vista development team said Tuesday.

Industry insiders say security in Vista is better, but warn 'nothing is invulnerable'

Microsoft has placed security as one of the top selling points for the Windows Vista OS, due out at the end of next year. But exactly how much more secure Vista will be than its predecessors is a point of concern here at the Microsoft IT Forum 2005 in Barcelona.

New iteration improves networking and PC manageability

Microsoft has released a new version of its Windows Vista beta code that sheds some light on how the software giant plans to improve networking and PC manageability in this next major release of its OS.

Desktop OS will be available for 2006 holiday season

Microsoft Corp. is expected to release to manufacturing the next version of its Windows desktop OS on July 25, 2006, to ensure PC vendors will have it on machines in time for the 2006 holiday season in the U.S., according to sources familiar with the company's plans.

A peek into Windows Vista and IE 7 betas shows some welcome security upgrades

Windows administrators are busy this week analyzing Microsoft’s most recent Patch Tuesday releases. Of the eight patches released on Oct. 11, at least four of them have already resulted in publicly available exploit code. FrSIRT has three of the exploits and is sure to get the others as they become known.

Microsoft CEO says users will be able to trust Vista the day it is released

Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer believes the company has ironed out all of the security problems in its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system so that users can consider adopting it the first day it is released. For the most part.

New diagnostic software will be able to resolve problems in the computer's memory or on the hard drive.

Microsoft Corp. has released a new version of its Windows Vista beta code that sheds some light on how the software giant plans to improve networking and PC manageability in this next major release of the Windows operating system. The new release also gives testers an early look at some important new features for Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7.0 browser.

Redmond targets the enterprise with a spate of products slated for late 2006

Pardon us for trotting out that hoary old metaphor, big business as sports, for our cover story. But frankly, Microsoft's coordinated launch of products and technologies screams "football" to us. So, this week we offer a caricature of Bill Gates as gridiron genius, sending his minions onto the field.

WWF makes client-side workflows accessible

Microsoft’s BizTalk server may have been the first business process management system for the broad market. Its simple diagrammatic programming model backed by a rich API made it an essential element of a Windows shop’s portfolio of back-end services.

An unprecedented lineup of desktop, server, and developer offerings fuel Microsoft’s largest assault ever on the enterprise

Microsoft stunned its customers last month with a swarm of product announcements at its Professional Developers Conference (PDC) and first-ever Business Summit. Add a huge company reorganization that consolidated six divisions into three (Platform Products & Services, Entertainment & Devices, and Business) and even a casual observer might conclude that something big is afoot in Redmond.

Microsoft chief discusses his confidence in Vista and XAML/E

At Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference (PDC) last month, InfoWorld Senior Analyst Jon Udell sat down with Bill Gates for a surprisingly candid interview. In this excerpt, Gates discusses the new, lightweight version of Windows Presentation Foundation (formerly code-named Avalon) and explains why he is confident that enterprises will upgrade to Vista. The full version of the interview covers a wide range of topics -- including the future of RSS and the relationship between object behaviors and loose coupling through XML. In this segment, Udell starts by recounting the reaction to the new, portable version of XAML (Extensible Application Markup Language) dubbed XAML/E (the “E” is for “everywhere”).

Microsoft continues to reveal tantalizing features of its forthcoming OS

So my recent MIGRAINE (Microsoft Granular Investigation of New Expectations) journalistic odyssey went well. Redmond really did announce an amazing amount of stuff in the past three weeks, and it really does all tie together in an only slightly twisted Microsoft way. Check out the final article on Oct. 3 on InfoWorld.com or in InfoWorld magazine.

Microsoft's WWF lets developers build composite workflow applications

What separates enterprise apps from desktop apps? Mainly, business rules and workflow. Wednesday, at the (PDC) Professional Developers Conference, Microsoft announced Windows Workflow Foundation (WWF), a brand new Windows technology that will enable developers to stitch together Microsoft Office apps and custom-built software into composite, enterprise-class workflow applications. With WWF, according to group product manager Scott Woodgate, Microsoft will be able to offer "the first workflow-enabled operating system."

Nifty new software toys aid file backup, patch management, and more

I’ve blown out my back, but I don’t much care. A ray of light has re-entered my life, and that ray is … football season. Pigskin has absolutely nothing to do with the three new Microsoft software toys I'm about to discuss, but sometimes you’re so giddy (and doped up on painkillers) that you simply can’t come up with a better lead-in. Two of this week’s software toys are available right now, whilst the third is merely a new Redmondian feature that you'll wish you could get.

Finally, now that OS X is in its fourth version, the beta release of Vista shows that Microsoft realizes it needs to catch up

Although consistent, Windows’ user interface reflects a die-hard business philosophy: If one is enjoying one’s work, then one must be goofing off on company time. Windows is flat, uninspiring, motionless, and utterly unlike actual life. And until about five years ago, the world was OK with that.

Choosing among competing technologies has never been tougher. Here are InfoWorld's calls on the most important matchups

Some people enjoy a good fight; others would prefer to look the other way. One thing is certain, though: If you have a stake in that fight, you’ll watch the outcome closely.

Beta 1 shows potential with Virtual Folders, metadata features

There’s no reason to postpone planning your enterprise desktop search deployment while waiting for far-off OS-based search technologies. Still, that doesn't mean these developments aren't worth tracking, considering that they have the potential to significantly alter the way we locate information. With that in mind, I examined Microsoft's first Windows Vista beta to see how the desktop search experience may change for end-users.

Developers pore over Microsoft's grand experiment in desktop information management

The surprise beta release of Microsoft's WinFS file system on Monday has attracted intense scrutiny. WinFS was one of the three pillars of Microsoft's next-generation version of Windows announced two years ago, then code-named Longhorn and now morphed and downsized into Vista. All three pillars -- WinFS, the Avalon GUI, and the Indigo Web-services protocol stack -- have been detached from any specific forthcoming release of Windows and will be offered as separate technologies. Microsoft developers were happy to discover that the WinFS beta really does install on Windows XP and includes an array of supporting development tools.

Secure technology will reside in the Protected Media Path

Microsoft plans to include new ways to protect video content in the next version of its Windows desktop operating system (OS) in an effort to position the OS as a platform for home digital entertainment systems.

Gossiping gadfly sits alone by the phone

For someone so well connected, my social networking diva has been impossible to reach lately. I spend more time talking to her voice mail than to her. My e-mails get rejected by her spam filter, and her IM client says she's offline. If I didn't know any better, I'd think she was trying to avoid me.

Windows Automated Installation Kit expected to help in deployment

Microsoft is trying to address a key reason business customers are skipping over Windows upgrades by including a new tool in the next version of Windows that simplifies the deployment of the operating system (OS).

Columnist's Star Trek gaffe fails to bring down Internet

Thanks to the dozens of readers who noted that my previous column was lacking in the Trek department. James “Scotty” Doohan was the second crew member to enter the final frontier; DeForest “Bones” Kelley died six years ago. Actually, I was thinking they’d use that slingshot-around-the-sun trick to go backward in time and pick up Bones, along with Shatner’s old hairpieces. No? Then how about this: I forgot. Must have had too much Saurian Brandy.

Farewell to the original hardware geek

I've been in a subdued mood since the death of James "Scotty" Doohan. His passing means the original Star Trek crew will never reunite for that one last mission: Star Trek: Journey to the Edge of Incontinence. I was so looking forward to it.

Ballmer outlines forthcoming versions of Vista, Office Premium, Office Server that will be tailored for the high-end

REDMOND, WASHINGTON -- Microsoft plans to increase its investment in enterprise-class products with new high-end -- and higher-priced -- versions of Windows and Office that will be released in the next several years, the company's chief executive officer (CEO) said Thursday.

Longhorn name will be a thing of the past

Microsoft Wednesday will release the first beta of the next version of Windows, according to sources familiar with the company's plans.

Custom application and services provider company named Vista is mulling legal action against Microsoft

The founder of a Redmond, Washington-based custom application and services provider is considering taking action to challenge Microsoft over the naming of the next version of the Windows operating system (OS).