But Wait, There's More

Downloads of Windows Server 2003 SP1 Top the 1 Million Mark

Since it became available in early April, there have been 1.2 million downloads of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, Microsoft said last week. Considering that IDC figures the total Windows Server 2003 installed base is 6.73 million, that would mean that about 18 percent of Windows Server 2003 users have installed (or downloaded, at the very least) SP1 during the first 50 days or so of availability. Windows Server 2003 SP1, of course, brought the same sort of security-focused enhancements, such as new security wizards and the automatic activation of the Windows firewall, that Windows XP SP2 received last summer. If you haven't gotten your SP1 on, you can download it, or just study up on it, at www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/downloads/servicepacks/sp1/default.mspx.

Microsoft Unveils New POS System for Small Retailers

Small retailers gained a new point-of-sale (POS) system from Microsoft last week. Called Microsoft Point Of Sale, the new POS system is designed to replace cash registers, and helps small or independent retailers track and manage sales, inventory, and information about their customers. The software installs on regular PCs, and can even help retailers barcode their products, and run monthly tax reports. Rick and Elizabeth Geist, who own The Landing Music record and CD shop in Seattle, have found Point of Sale handy for telling them what's selling well, whether they have a copy of a classic or rare album, or even making buying suggestions based on a customer's passed activity. "Microsoft Point of Sale has given us back our lives. We no longer spend endless hours tracking inventory, guessing what stock to order or closing the till," Elizabeth Geist said. "Now more of our time at the store is spent doing what we do best: building relationships with our customers and finding them the music they love." The new software costs $799 and works with Microsoft Office, as well as accounting applications such as Intuit's QuickBooks. The software is available now from Microsoft Business Solutions.

Indian Provider of 'Offsourcing' to Sell Microsoft ERP Apps

HCL Technologies, a $2 billion provider of application development and offshore outsourcing (or "offsourcing," as the company calls it) has inked a deal with Microsoft to sell and implement Microsoft Business Solutions ERP applications in North America, the companies announced last week. As part of the deal, HCL will become a reseller and systems integrator for MBS Axapta, Great Plains, Navision, and CRM products, and will target mid market companies in the manufacturing and hi-tech industries. "Partnering with Microsoft Business Solutions as a reseller and system integrator in the U.S. further enhances our focus and commitment on HCL's business solution and enterprise consulting," says Sandeep Kishore, a vice president with HCL, which is headquartered in India. HCL also has a partnership with Oracle, and had a partnership with PeopleSoft before the Oracle acquisition.

Hewlett-Packard to Offer Scaled Down Version of OpenView for Windows

Hewlett-Packard is gearing up to release a new scaled-down, Windows-based version of its OpenView systems management product that will compete with the likes of Microsoft Operation Manager (MOM) and NetIQ AppManager suite. The new product, which will be called HP OpenView Operations Manager 7.5, Windows Limited Edition, will enable organizations to manage local Windows-, Linux-, and Unix-based servers and applications from a central Windows console. The pricing is expected to start at about $18,000, which will enable the management of 20 servers and provide the user with one plug-in for an Oracle or SQL Server database, or for Microsoft's Exchange, Active Directory, or Virtual Server products. Additional plug-ins will be priced between $1,000 and $2,000 each, and the maximum number of servers that can be managed by the product will be 30.

NetIQ Unveils Security Compliance Suite for Windows

NetIQ this month will begin shipping new Windows-based software designed to help companies comply with new regulations such as HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Called the NetIQ Security Compliance Suite, the standard version of the product will automate the task of consolidating and analyzing Windows audit logs, assure that all systems are running the latest patches, and provide templates that help users assess their systems' compliance against multiple regulations. The enterprise version of NetIQ Security Compliance Suite adds real-time security monitoring through the Incident Manager module of NetIQ Security Manager. The software will become available this month, and will be sold in sets of 25 server licenses. The Standard Edition is priced at $800 per server and the Enterprise Edition is priced at $1,120 per server.

New Bottomline Software Automates the Accounts Payable Lifecycle

Bottomline Technologies yesterday unveiled inView AP, a new application for automating and building greater efficiency into accounts payable (AP) processes. inView AP automates every step of the purchase-to-pay process, from invoice receipt and processing through approvals and payment. The new software is designed to automatically receive, aggregate, format, and transfer invoice data directly into the ODBC-compliant database of an ERP system or other AP systems. The software components of inView AP include an Invoice Processing Module and Requisition Processing Module, and there is also an optional Online Purchasing Gateway for "punch-out" integration with CXML-enabled vendors, such as Dell and Staples, the company says. There is also a Vendor Portal component that provides chase order receipt, flip to invoice, invoice entry, file upload, AP process, and payment status visibility. inView AP runs on Windows and Linux computers, and is available now.

Two Top Intel Execs Jump Ship

Paul Otellini took over as Intel CEO last week, and two top executives at the chip maker have already headed for the door. Abhi Talwalkar, who shared the general manager position of Intel's Digital Enterprise Group, which was formed in January of this year, with Pat Gelsinger, the company's former chief technology officer, has left Intel to become president and chief executive officer of chip maker LSI Logic. Talwalkar has taken over those positions from LSI Logic's founder, Wilfred Corrigan. Corrigan will become non-executive chairman of LSI Logic, and Talwalkar has been named to the board of directors.

Intel lost another top executive, too: Sandra Morris, vice president and general manager of Intel's Mobility Group Operations, which was created during Intel's January reorganization from the former Communications Group. Morris was in charge of Intel's marketing operations in these areas, which include wireless and wired connectivity products. Prior to being named general manager, she was one of two CIOs for Intel itself, and spearheaded Intel's own use of Internet technologies. Before joining Intel in 1985, Morris was a researcher at RCA's Sarnoff Research Center, where she prototyped the use of PCs in multimedia. Her experience at Intel as well as at Sarnoff and the University of Delaware, where she was a faculty member who studied the use of PCs by families, will probably be useful in her new role as vice president and general manager of Eastman Kodak Company's Digital Imaging Services Group, which runs the EasyShare Gallery (formerly Ofoto) online photo sharing service, which Kodak bought in June 2001.