But Wait, There's More

Microsoft Delivers AntiSpyware Beta

As expected, Microsoft broke into a new segment of the software market yesterday, when it made its new spyware removal tool, Windows AntiSpyware, available for download. The software, still in beta, provides real-time protection from 50 types of spyware that can be loaded onto your Windows PC just by visiting a malformed Web site. AntiSpyware works on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 systems, and gives users detailed information about every spyware program detected on their system, including a description of the threat, where it is located on their computer, a risk rating, and a recommended action to take. Users can set up AntiSpyware to either temporarily disable or permanently remove the offending code.

Microsoft is mercifully making AntiSpyware available as a free update, as opposed to charging for the program, which some speculated Microsoft might have done. In support of AntiSpyware is the SpyNet network, which was formed by AntiSpyware's previous owner, GIANT Company Software, which Microsoft acquired in December. SpyNet is a voluntary program composed of Windows users who report to Microsoft new spyware threats, which Microsoft will then use to update AntiSpyware with new spyware signatures on the second Tuesday of every month (according to the company's current security update cycle). More information and downloads of the AntiSpyware beta is available at www.microsoft.com/spyware.

In addition to AntiSpyware, Microsoft released a new version of its so-called malicious software removal tool, which provides some protection from viruses, worms, and assorted other nasty little buggers. Microsoft's malicious software removal tool, first released in January 2004, is based on technology the company acquired from GeCAD Software in 2003.

NTP Software Says Windows Shops Are Moving to 64-Bit

Is 64-bit computing poised to take off in the enterprise Windows market? Yes, according to NTP Software, a provider of storage management software for Windows, which says its users are beginning to make the transition to 64-bit systems. This week, the Nashua, New Hampshire, software developer announced that it now supports 64-bit processors from Intel and Advanced Micro Devices with its flagship Quota & File Sentinel line of products, which put limits on the amount and type of data that an organization's users can load onto servers. The 64-bit support is also available with the company's new Universal User-based Management product, which was released in October and provides a single interface for managing data-use policies across a wide range of platforms and networks. NTP Software says Quota & File Sentinel, which supports Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows Server 2003, has been licensed 150,000 times.

Adobe Heightens PDF Security with LiveCycle Policy Server

Adobe has announced the availability of its long-awaited Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server, initially unveiled last year as part of the company's Intelligent Document Platform, as well as the Version 7.0 release of its Reader and Acrobat products for creating and viewing its ubiquitous PDF standard. Currently available for Unix and Windows servers, the LiveCycle Policy Server is a Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) application that adds many cool features to document management, including the capability to control who can view a PDF document, and whether the recipient can modify, copy, print, or forward the document. The permissions on these documents can also be changed or revoked, regardless of how many copies were distributed or where the documents reside, Adobe says. LiveCycle, which costs a mere $50,000 per CPU, runs on the WebSphere and JBoss Web application servers, with support for BEA Systems WebLogic expected sometime in the first half of 2005. The application is "optimized" for the AIX operating system, Adobe says, and it also runs on Windows Server, Red Hat Linux, and Sun Microsystems Solaris operating systems. Support for NOVELL's SUSE Linux platform and Hewlett-Packard's HP-UX are planned for the first half of 2005.

Microsoft Launches Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration

Microsoft this week announced a new software package for companies to host messaging and collaboration applications for others. The new package, Microsoft Solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration 3.0, is an amalgamation of Exchange 2003, Live Communications Server 2005, and Windows SharePoint Services, and enables service providers to deliver e-mail, shared calendaring, contacts, document collaboration, and instant messaging capabilities to organizations that don't want to run the software themselves. The new package targets small and midsized businesses, says Pascal Martin, general manager for hosting solutions at Microsoft. "We are hearing from many small and medium-sized organizations that they need enterprise-class messaging and collaboration services, but do not want the worry of keeping their systems safe against spam, viruses, or other security attacks, or having to recover lost data in the case of a catastrophic event," he says. The new software will be available January 19.

SMBs Get New Financials Package from Microsoft

Continuing the small and midsized business theme, Microsoft announced that it has enhanced its Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Manager product, and has renamed it Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Financials, North America Edition. The software vendor says its new application, which is targeted at organizations with 10 to 49 employees, will bring enhancements in the areas of report customization, the streamlining of order processing and inventory management, and the automation of data backups. Users can also import data from other applications such as QuickBooks and Peachtree, Microsoft says, and they will have a seamless upgrade path from Microsoft Office for Small Business Management edition when that solution becomes available later this year. Microsoft also says it has enhanced integration between the Small Business Financials product and its Small Business Server 2003 operating system. Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Financials, North America Edition, became available in the United States and Canada on January 5.

Microsoft and Siemens Form Alliance for Live Communications Server 2005

Siemens and Microsoft extended their two-year strategic product relationship into a multi-year alliance yesterday. The companies say the new sales and marketing alliance will have them working closely to deliver new collaboration solutions that bring together "presence aware" voice, video, e-mail, and instant messaging. At the heart of the new initiative is the new Live Communications Server 2005 (see "Microsoft Details New 'Live Communications Server' Release"), "Istanbul," the code-name for new Office client that's designed specifically to work with Live Communication's Server 2005, and Siemens HiPath OpenScape application, a complete presence-enabled collaboration portal that's built on top of Live Communications Server 2005 and "Istanbul." OpenScape will bring device and user presence controls across multiple communication media, including instant messaging, e-mail, work phones, mobile phones, and home phones.

Heads Roll At Oracle and Former PeopleSoft

Just before the Christmas holidays, and after Oracle had prevailed in its hostile takeover of rival PeopleSoft, the founder of the latter company, Dave Duffield, resigned as chairman and CEO. Duffield, an electrical engineer by training, started PeopleSoft in 1987 and served as its chairman for the entire history of the company and was also its CEO until 1999, when he brought in Craig Conway, a top executive at Oracle, to take the CEO post. Duffield quit on December 21.

On December 28, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Oracle fired four of PeopleSoft's executives, including co-presidents Phillip Wilmington and Kevin Parker, general counsel James Shaughnessy, and chief marketing officer Nanci Caldwell. Parker was also doing double duty as PeopleSoft's chief financial officer. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Oracle said that Safra Catz and Charles Phillips, who are co-presidents at Oracle, would hold those same posts at PeopleSoft, and that Harry You, Oracle's CFO, and Daniel Cooperman, the company's chief marketing officer, would hold those positions at the newly acquired PeopleSoft as well.

Oracle is planning a formal launch of the merged Oracle-PeopleSoft-J.D. Edwards goliath on January 18, when it will present its vision of the future and give details of how this merger will be accomplished. According to The Journal, Oracle is already asking two of its own executives--Ronald Wohl, who heads development of the Oracle Applications unit, and Michael Rocha, who heads Oracle's support operations--to step down. John Wookey, who reported to Wohl, is expected to be named as the new head of the application software unit and will also be put in charge of integrating PeopleSoft's products into the Oracle products. Wohl is said to be staying on at Oracle, and will be given a new position. Juergen Rottler, who just jumped from Hewlett-Packard a few months ago, will take over as head of Oracle's support business unit. Rocha is said to be leaving Oracle. Oracle is planning on making announcements concerning layoffs for the merged company to employees before the January 18 shindig and will undoubtedly be queried about this at the event.