Microsoft Extends Support for Legacy Products
by Alex Woodie

Companies that use older Microsoft software, such as Windows NT 4 and Exchange 5.5, received a reprieve this week when the vendor announced a new plan to extend support for legacy products, indefinitely in some cases. Microsoft says the changes to the Custom Support Agreements (CSA) program, including per-device support pricing, will help its large business customers better manage their IT environments and plan migrations at their own pace. But the changes mean increased fees for some. READ MORE >

Intel Delivers 'Tulsa' Xeon MP Server Chip Early
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

Intel yesterday rolled out its next-generation Xeon MP processor for high-end servers, code-named "Tulsa" and sold under the Xeon 7100 series brand name. The Tulsa chips are, unlike their "Paxville" Xeon MP predecessors, true dual-core processors. They are not just two single-core chips jammed into a chip package that fits in a single processor socket. Servers using the Tulsa chip can deliver between 60 and 70 percent more performance than those using the Paxvilles. And they are coming to market a little bit earlier than expected. READ MORE >

The Server Market Struggles for Growth in Q2, Says IDC
by Timothy Prickett Morgan

The second quarter is never a particularly good one for the server business, and according to the latest statistics from IDC, server makers are having a hard time making up their revenues in volume. In the second quarter of 2006, worldwide server revenues across all types of servers rose by only six-tenths of a percent to $12.3 billion, and server volumes decelerated to a mere 8.3 percent growth, with just over 1.8 million units shipped. This is the third straight quarter of single-digit server shipment growth, and the eighth quarter of slowing shipments. READ MORE >

Windows Vista RC1 On the Verge
by Alex Woodie

Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1)--the first iteration of the final stage of testing for the new operating system--is on the verge of being released. That's the gist of several reports milling about the Net early this week as Microsoft watchers and beta testers eagerly anticipated getting their hands on the near-final version of the new OS. If the reports are true, then Microsoft suddenly is--gasp!--on track with its previously announced release schedule for Vista. READ MORE >