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Microsoft reports record Q2 revenues
rte.ie - Jan 27, 2006
A company statement blamed a 2% drop in operating income on missed sales targets for the new Xbox 360 as well as marketing and product development expenses associated with major product launches. Advertisement
'The growth in our core businesses was healthy during the quarter, driven by strength in Server and Tools and the success of our Windows Client products in a robust PC market,' Microsoft chief financial officer Chris Liddell said. 'The quarter also marked the beginning of an important product cycle for Microsoft with the launches of Xbox 360, SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005 and Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3. 0, all of which were extremely successful and well received by our customers,' he added. A large number of Xboxes were sold since the new generation was released last year, but not the number Microsoft expected, Liddell said. He said that Microsoft had resolved 'issues with components' that hampered production of Xbox consoles. Microsoft had contracted another company to manufacture the games, Liddell said.
http://www.rte.ie/business/2006/0127/microsoft.html
NetSuite campaign to tempt Microsoft VARs
VNUNet.com - Jan 30, 2006
”According to figures from Net-Suite, its on-demand ERP, CRM and e-commercedivisions grew by 100 per cent last year. However, the vendor claimed that incontrast, Microsoft’s business applications offering grew by just six per centlast year. A Microsoft representative told CRN: “With 110 accredited CRMpartners in the UK, and a further 300 expressing interest in joining theMicrosoft Partner Programme, we are in a strong position to offer customers inall industries the solution which best fits their business needs. ”In the UK, NetSuite has already had success with Hampshire-based ITconsultancy Nolan Computers. Tim Nolan, managing director of Nolan Computers, told CRN: “We havesigned up with NetSuite in addition to Microsoft Great Plains. It was a decisionbased on the NetSuite system which seems like the future. Microsoft doesn’t havean offering in that space.
http://www.vnunet.com/articles/print/2149398
Xbox dearth takes edge off Microsoft's record quarter
Register - Jan 27, 2006
83bn, the highest quarterly revenue in its 30 year history. Driving revenues were server and tools and the PC client business, with strong sales in Visual Studio 2005 and Dynamics Customer Relationship Management (CRM) that were both launched during the quarter. Microsoft Business Solutions (MBS) - home of Dynamics CRM - and Mobile and Embedded hit profitability for the first time. MBS scored $10m operating income, with the mobile unit on $20m. Separately, Microsoft refused to confirm.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/27/microsoft_q2_06_earnings/
VMware's Chief promises to play nice with Microsoft and Xen
Register - Jan 31, 2006
They would love to eat away at the more than $100m in revenue VMware does per quarter - a figure that's been doubling year over year. But Microsoft and XenSource, VMware's two main competitors, will likely struggle to grab serious server virtualization market share any time soon. Microsoft has warned that it plans to phase out its current Virtual Server product in favor of a new software package due in the server version of Windows Vista sometime after 2007. Meanwhile, XenSource is working to get its open source wares onto the market and to create complementary, profit making products. The start-up has yet to announce a single customer as compared to the thousands VMware can point to... It's databases, it's e-mail servers, it's web servers, it's file and print and servers, it's certainly test and dev environments and departmental applications. When we do surveys, the types of software are pretty spread out. El Reg: What about middleware? I don't hear much about folks putting CRM or ERP apps on virtual machines. We have people that want to run Siebel, PeopleSoft, SAP and all that stuff too. El Reg: You just seem to hear much less about that than say web serving in a virtual machine. DG: We now have all the ISVs supporting their software in a virtual machine.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/31/vmware_qand_a/
Is Your Product's Price Right?
Forbes - Jan 27, 2006
"All they do is index. They don't know what they are looking at. " (Google, Yahoo! and Microsoft all declined to comment. )Zoom can sort a database of 28 million people using up to 20 related criteria, including industry, job title, geography, education and type of source document. Want to poach from a competitor? You can find relevant candidates toiling at a specific firm. But Zoom's not just for HR. Salespeople use it to bone up on customers before making a pitch... At the free end were the big Web aggregators, Google and Yahoo!. Glass even looked at indirect competitors like Salesforce.
http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneursfinance/2006/01/26/google-yahoo-microsoft-cx_bn_0127zoom.html
Microsoft says e-government will offer savings
InfoWorld - Feb 1, 2006
"Your governments recognize these opportunities, and you've set some goals. "Microsoft announced a plan earlier this week to capture government business with its Public Services and eGovernment Strategy, part of its Microsoft Connected Government Framework program. The plan is aimed at helping governments map out a service delivery strategy with its IT systems, focusing on identity management, customer relationship management (CRM) and case management, along with document and forms management. Elliott said e-government systems can eliminate red tape and break through "mind-numbing bureaucracy. " The cost of inefficient bureaucracy is estimated at €400 billion (US$484 billion) every year in Europe, she said. In the United States, it amounts to around $843 billion per year, she said. If governments could save 15 percent of those costs, the savings would amount to 1.
http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/06/02/01/74986_HNmsegovsavings_1.html&source=searchresult
In Advance of the Government Leaders Forum, Microsoft Outlines a...
noticias.info - Jan 29, 2006
Supporting government administrations� focus on service delivery will transform operations and enable governments to deliver exceptional service to businesses and customers through the use of well-connected innovative technology. The eGovernment Strategy is part of Microsoft�s ongoing commitment to helping governments develop strong, sustainable IT infrastructures that deliver ease of use, value through innovative technology, and a clear road map for future development. �Governments around the world tell us that to interoperate effectively they need a more structured approach to building information technology (IT) systems,� said Bill Gates, chairman and chief software architect of Microsoft. �Deploying an eGovernment Strategy will help governments improve productivity and service delivery through seamless interoperability � as well as dramatically help cut costs. �The worldwide Public Services and eGovernment Strategy is based on an innovative blueprint, the Microsoft Connected Government Framework (CGF). The CGF demonstrates how governments and public sector agencies can architect and implement a vision of seamless service... , a Microsoft partner implementing the Latvian Integrated State Information system. The strategy is based on core capabilities that are fundamental to government administration and service delivery. Initial deployment has already begun. Microsoft and partner WISeKey SA demonstrated how technology can enable the issuance of secure eID for citizens. �WISeKey with the support of Microsoft is teaming to expand the use of Digital Identification with the aim of increasing digital connectivity to 1 billion people by 2015,� said Carlos Moreira, chairman, co-founder and co-CEO of WISeKey. �We believe the efficiencies of Digital Identification will result in cost savings.
http://www.noticias.info/asp/aspComunicados.asp?nid=141759&src=0
Steve Jobs's Magic Kingdom
BusinessWeek - Jan 26, 2006
With absolute control, breakout innovation, and stellar marketing, he has created products that consumers lust after. The smooth melding of Apple's iPod with the iTunes software has helped make it an icon of the Digital Age. Rivals from Microsoft to Dell to Sony (SNE). have been left in the dust. "He has set the basic model for any digital business from now on," says Toshiba CEO Atsutoshi Nishida.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jan2006/tc20060126_116869.htm
New Open-Xchange 'OXtender' Enables Replacement of Windows...
sys-con.com - Jan 30, 2006
Open-Xchange Server 5 is the leading messaging and collaborative solution based on open source technology. It provides key messaging functions like email, calendaring, contacts and task management, fully integrated with advanced groupware features such as document sharing, project tracking, user forums, and a knowledge base. Open-Xchange Server 5 works with 'rich clients' such as Microsoft Outlook as well as most browsers and mobile devices. Samba OXtender enables streamlined and efficient administration with complete end user functionality managed with one single front end. All mission critical data such as emails and files are stored in a single place saving the administrator complexity -- backing up to a single server. Joint Development with IDEALXSamba OXtender was jointly developed with Open-Xchange's French business partner IDEALX, a leading European provider of open source "off-the-shelf" solutions, specialized in infrastructure and security... It interoperates with virtually all web browsers and important proprietary and open source rich clients. Open-Xchange Server supports the two leading Enterprise Linux distributions, Red Hat and SUSE. Innovative connectors, OXtenders, enhance customer flexibility by using open standard APIs to integrate existing IT infrastructures, or even extend capabilities to fax, VoIP, or CRM solutions. About IDEALXBased out of Paris, IDEALX is the leader in "off the shelf" open source security software in Europe. IDEALX main software offerings "Open Trust" ranges from open source infrastructure stack that facilitates migration to open source to security software such as IDX-PKI and Cryptonit the user friendly open source signature software. IDEALX references includes Total, Michelin, or the Ministry of Defense of Switzerland.
http://opensource.sys-con.com/read/176733.htm
Google Lawsuit to be Heard in Feb. - CIO News Alerts - News - CIO
CIO - Jan 27, 2006
District Judge James Ware set the date for the hearing. The court will attempt to determine whether or not Google will have to provide the records the Department of Justice (DOJ) has demanded, and in doing so, help the DOJ with an anti-pornography suit. The DOJ asked for the same records from other Internet heavies like Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL; however, Google was the only company to refuse the request and fight the subpoena in court. Last week, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said the DOJ would not roll over. "This is important for the Department of Justice, and we will pursue this matter. " The request has privacy advocates and some members of Congress calling foul, namely Rep.
http://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=17248
Dear Subscriber to TheStreet.com Stocks Under $10,
thestreet.com - Jan 27, 2006
00, 300 shares,
5. 19%, Stealth Stock): RightNow is an emerging company in
the customer relationship management (CRM) space. The
company is set to deliver fourth-quarter earnings results
Monday. The consensus forecast among Wall Street analysts
is for earnings of 4 cents a share on revenue of $23. We believe RightNow will meet or exceed these
forecasts based on the company's track record for
delivering results above Street expectations.
http://www.thestreet.com/k/su/_googlen/archives/200601271700.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN&cm_cat=SU&cm_ite=003966
See you soon.
