Windows Server 2008 Release Candidate Released

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is the next generation of the Windows Server operating system that helps information technology (IT) professionals maximize control over their infrastructure while providing unprecedented availability and management capabilities, leading to a significantly more secure, reliable, and robust server environment than ever before. Windows Server 2008 delivers new value to organizations by ensuring all users regardless of location are able to get the full complement of services from the network. Windows Server 2008 also provides deep insight into the operating system and diagnostic capabilities to allow administrators to spend more time adding business value.

Windows Server 2008 builds on the success and strengths of the award-winning Windows Server 2003 operating system and on the innovations delivered in Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2003 R2. However, Windows Server 2008 is far more than a refinement of predecessor operating systems. Windows Server 2008 is designed to provide organizations with the most productive platform for powering applications, networks, and Web services from the work group to the data center with exciting, valuable new functionality and powerful improvements to the base operating system.

The various Editions available are,

• Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition
  This edition of Windows Server 2008 provides key server functionality across most server roles and features. It includes both full and Server Core installation options.
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition
  This edition builds on Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition to provide greater scalability and availability, and adds enterprise technologies such as failover clustering and Active Directory Federation Services.
• Windows Server 2008 Data center Edition
  This edition offers the same functionality as Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition with support for additional memory and processors, and unlimited virtual image use rights.
• Windows Web Server 2008
  This edition is designed specifically for use as a Web and applications server. Other server roles are not available in this edition.
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems
  This edition is designed for use with Intel Itanium 64-bit processors to provide Web and applications server functionality on that platform. Other server roles and features may not be available.

Learn More about Windows Server 2008

System Requirements for Windows server 2008

Get the Windows Server 2008 Release Candidate

27 September 2007 in Beta Testing & OS | Comments (0)

Windows Server Compared with Linux, Unix and Mainframe

Microsoft has setup a site that provides the Comparison of Windows Server System with Linux, Unix and Mainframes.

This Site list the industry standards and the feedbacks from industry experts on these server systems.

Learn more at windows server/compare

26 September 2007 in OS & Websites | Comments (0)

Visual Studio 2008 Beta Released

The next version of Visual Studio, Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2008, is out for Beta Testing. It will provide an industry-leading developer experience for Windows Vista, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, and the Web. In addition, it will continue in the Microsoft tradition of development language innovation.

Several versions of Visual Studio 2008 Beta are available for download. You can download the following versions,

• Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 Express Editions
• Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 Standard Edition
• Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 Professional Edition
• Visual Studio Team System 2008 Beta 2 Team Suite
• Visual Studio Team System 2008 Beta 2 Team Foundation Server
• Visual Studio Team System 2008 Beta 2 Test Load Agent
• MSDN Library for Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2

Learn more about Visual Studio 2008 and download the Betas

26 September 2007 in Beta Testing & Developer Tools | Comments (0)

Microsoft to acquire aQuantive

Microsoft is allset to acquire online advertising company aQuantive for $6 billion in cash, a move that will help the software giant carve out some serious territory in the online advertising battleground.

It’s the company’s biggest acquisition bid ever. Microsoft offered $66.50 per share for the company for an 85 percent premium over aQuantive’s Thursday closing price of $35.87. The offer highlights Microsoft’s willingness to open its wallet further in order to catch Google, Yahoo and AOL.

According to Microsoft, “Microsoft’s advertising assets and aQuantive’s complementary expertise in advertising tools, sales, support and syndication are assets that together will deliver safer solutions and increased value to agencies, advertisers and publishers”.

aQuantive has seen significant growth in the decade since its inception, evolving to include three main brands: Atlas, which makes the Media Console advertising platform; DRIVEpm, which provides ad services that match advertiser campaigns with publisher inventory; and Avenue A | Razorfish, which, as one of the largest online ad agencies in the world, provides advertisers digital marketing consultation along with media planning and buying.

Microsoft said it will use the aQuantive assets to create next-generation advertising systems, including cross media planning, video-on-demand and IPTV.

Microsoft expects to close the deal in the first half of its fiscal year 2008. aQuantive, a long-time customer and supplier of Microsoft, will continue to operate from its Seattle headquarters as part of Microsoft’s Online Services Business.

Should the deal go through without a hitch, Microsoft will have a powerful weapon to wield in conjunction with its AdCenter platform.

With the company, Microsoft will assume a leadership role in what Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell said is a $40 billion online ad market expected to grow 20 percent each year through 2010.

Still, Microsoft officials insisted acquiring aQuantive for its three big brands and 2,600 employees is kosher because it’s complementary.

Microsoft Senior Vice President and General Counsel Brad Smith, who has publicly complained that a Google-DoubleClick merger would reduce competition by giving Google 80 percent of the market for serving ads to third-party Web publishers, addressed the competitive ramifications on the call.

Source: internetnews.com

8 July 2007 in News | Comments (0)

Microsoft to release Six Security Patches in July

Microsoft Technet has made an announcement that, six security patches are intended to be released on July 10, 2007.

3 are termed as Critical, 2 as important and 1 one as moderate.

The applications that are affected are Office, Windows 2000 and above, .net Framework, Publisher and finally Windows Vista.

Read more on this important security announce ment and more furtherdetails from Microsoft Technet

8 July 2007 in Patches & Security | Comments (0)

Microsoft TechMela 2007

TechMela is a fusion of the latest technologies, business gurus, and structured learning experiences - all you can ask for, in one grand, mother-of-all-tech-events!

Creating many pathways to knowledge exchange, TechMela comprises of technology presentations, scenario showcases, experience zones and discussion forums and parallel hands-on learning sessions, besides lots of networking opportunity, and of course - tonnes of fun!

This is one event you simply can’t afford to miss - no matter which technology stream you work in, or which level you work at.

TechMela 2007 is being held on 14, 15, 16 June 2007 at Renaissance, Mumbai

Learn more http://www.techmela.com/

20 May 2007 in Events | Comments (0)

Microsoft’s Unix

Before Microsoft started its Windows OS developement there was a UNIX os by Microsoft jointly owned by Microsoft and AT&T.

This UNIX operating system was named as Microsoft Xenix, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenix

This OS is now bought by SCO and called as SCO Unix.

So the software gaint has its roots in the UNIX, before it ventured out with its own OS Windows.

The Microsoft Xenix was the market leader during that time period, [Proof: http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost…als+in+alliance]

So even that OS had rivals and hatered as the current Windows face.

Still Microsoft has some links with linux.

Microsoft’s Linux Guru Woos Coders with Freebies
Microsoft supports Linux via Novell

20 May 2007 in Info | Comments (0)

Microsoft pranks with oFone

Seeing as the Zune was such a hit, Microsoft decided to repeat the success and tackle the iPhone before it even gets out the gate; friends, we give you the Microsoft oFone. Not to be outdone by Apple’s multi-touch keyless interface, the oFone features not one or two, but three keyboards that can all pivot about the small central screen. Need to bag some wild game for dinner? No worries, oFone can do that too, simply extend the three arms (like in the pic above) and it apparently makes a decent boomerang. We’re loving where they’re going with this idea — cool and unusable, just how we like our fake phones.

View the video on YouTube

10 May 2007 in News | Comments (0)

Windows Vienna

The next Windows OS  release is codenamed “Vienna” ,”Windows Seven” or “Windows 7″ .

The next client version of Windows was originally codenamed “Blackcomb,” though the company renamed it to “Windows Vienna” in early 2006 and to “Windows Seven” or “Windows 7″ more recently.

Microsoft currently plans to ship Vienna in 2009, about two to two and a half years after Vista. The next major release of Windows is expected two years after Vienna, in 2011.

29 April 2007 in OS | Comments (0)

Windows Server Code Name “Longhorn” Public Beta

Windows Server Code Name “Longhorn” is the next generation of the Windows Server operating system gives you more control, greater flexibility, and increased protection for your server infrastructure while reducing time and costs.

Microsoft Windows Server code name “Longhorn” helps IT professionals to increase the flexibility of their server infrastructure while offering developers a more robust Web and applications platform for building connected applications and services. Powerful new management tools and security enhancements offer more control over your servers and network and provide advanced protection for your applications and data.

28 April 2007 in Beta Testing & OS | Comments (0)