Hello!
Microsoft tastes sweet, sweet open source CRM
Register - Feb 14, 2006
But more than 50 per cent of JBoss customers are our customers too. We were interested from an opportunity perspective, not because we like Java," Hiff said. Microsoft is working with SugarCRM to improve the hosted CRM provider's support for Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS), and to provide optimization of Active Directory and Microsoft SQL Server, including SQL Express, SQL Server Workgroup and SQL Server Enterprise. SugarCRM will also use Microsoft's Windows Installer XML (WiX) tools to build its planned products as a Microsoft Software Installer (MSI) package for Windows Server 2003. ® Track this type of story as a. Related storiesTitan makes earthly debut for Microsoft partners (11 January 2007)Microsoft to support Novell's cancer (2 November 2006).
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/14/microsoft_sugarcrm/
Open Source is Maturing
CNET News.com - Feb 15, 2006
I think we're about to see "commercial open source 2. Some may see this move as a sell-out by SugarCRM and market grabbing by Microsoft. I'm sure money is a motive. But, in the spirit of the "virtuous development cycle", I see this move as responding to customer demand and giving the customer more choice.
http://news.com.com/5208-7344_3-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=14032&messageID=114539&start=-1
Microsoft's No-Win Dilemma
BusinessWeek - Feb 15, 2006
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Microsoft (MSFT) is finding Europe's top antitrust regulator tougher than any it has faced before. Not only did the European Commission hit the company with a $613 million fine two years ago, the software giant is now staring at the prospect of fines that could cost it another $2.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2006/tc20060215_493848.htm
Open source ISVs must side with SAP to survive - SAP
Register - Feb 15, 2006
The invitation to you, is to join us," Graf said. In an attempt to persuade ISVs to pick SAP over enterprise competitors, Graf said: "IBM doesn't have the applications to build into this. Microsoft doesn't have credibility in the upper end of the market. Oracle has nine or 10 problems to figure out. SAP is, of course, locked in a war with IBM, Microsoft and Oracle over who can get the most developers building for their platforms, which would explain Graf's unsubtle attempt to steer programmers towards his own company's architecture and strategy. While bitterness towards Oracle is understandable, SAP has partnered with both Microsoft and IBM on software... While bitterness towards Oracle is understandable, SAP has partnered with both Microsoft and IBM on software. IBM, meanwhile, is providing the hosting infrastructure for SAP's hosted customer relationship management (CRM) service, CRM On-Demand Solution, announced last week. SAP's pitch might fall on deaf ears if Oracle has its way. The database giant is picking up open source companies at speed - nabbing Sleepycat this week, while eyeing JBoss and Zend, according to reports. ® Track this type of story as a.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/02/15/sap_open_source_developers/
OSBC: Sun seeks to woo HP to Solaris
InfoWorld - Feb 14, 2006
Following Schwartz's presentation, Microsoft's Bill Hilf, director of the vendor's Platform Technology Strategy organization, focused on the concept of "coopetition," through which competitors can share a common business interest. "It’s the idea of cooperating and competing often in the same breath with the same people," Hilf said. Microsoft certainly has not been a major proponent of open source. But Hilf pointed out that Microsoft can benefit from it just the same. Open source companies... SugarCRM, for example, will offer a version of its CRM package on Windows via Microsoft's Shared Source license, which allows some access to source code. Microsoft, however, is conscious that new business models in computing may not generate as much as older models, Hilf said. Product differentiation still is key and making money matters, he said. "I don’t believe selling tech support phone calls is a model [that is] sustainable," said Hilf. "You must differentiate in your product to sustain growth.
http://www.infoworld.com/archives/emailPrint.jsp?R=printThis&A=/article/06/02/14/75379_HNhpsunososbc_1.html
New "Integrated Office" solution to improve Legal practice...
SourceWire - SourceWire (press release) - Feb 13, 2006
Andy Bills, SVP Sales at Swyx comments, "An efficient, cost-effective office operation is critical to professional service organisations, where time literally is money. The Integrated Office solution will assist these organisations to maximise their fee earning potential by making them more available to their client contacts. "
The IP telephony system, developed on Swyx's technology platform and supported by LuxTech, will enable legal practices to run a more effective operation by providing instant and accurate itemised client billing, fax to the desktop, and seamless integration with contact management and CRM software. It will allow clients to be recognised automatically when calling into the practice, and integrates the telephony function with the practice database to allow rapid lookup of client details and information, as well as the capability of individualised billing of services to the client. The "Integrated Office" solution provides the following benefits to a Legal practice:
� Maximise fee-earning capability of legal professionals; experts in all aspects of your legal practice can be made available to clients regardless of their location. � Pool Receptionist resources - Using pure IP telephony it is possible for all calls to be managed centrally at a particular site and then re-routed transparently to the correct department or other office location based on availability and the importance if the call. � Individual Client Billing - Full reporting of telephone activity enables more accurate billing of clients quickly and easily without the need to trawl through phone bills and automatic generation of invoices with relevant cost codes
� Integration with contact management software - integrates with all existing applications such as Microsoft's Outlook, CRM, billing, and e-mail so that on incoming calls the appropriate contact window of the caller pops up and the contact information can be viewed instantly.
http://sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=24215&hilite=
Troubled Times at Gateway
BusinessWeek - Feb 10, 2006
And while there was a $49. 4 million profit, vs. a $475 million loss in 2004, more than $40 million of the income was directly attributable to legal-settlement payments from Microsoft (MSFT). The more accurate measure of Gateway's performance was its net operating income of $6. 8 million, only a third the size of the $20. 2 million reported for 2004. Still, Inouye gets credit for bringing costs under control.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2006/tc20060210_467932.htm
Companies, People, Ideas
Forbes - Feb 9, 2006
At the annual DEMO conference, where budding technologists strut their stuff in front of would-be investors and buzzmakers, there was no talk of the recent bust. But there was lots of chatter about consumers eager to get more out of computers, networks and cellular phones. The enthusiasm didn't apply to every offering: Representatives from Salesforce.
http://www.forbes.com/2006/02/09/yahoo-microsoft-google-cz_vm_0208demo.html?partner=alerts
Virgin Mobile users to get live TV over DAB - 14/Feb/2006 - ComputerWe...
ComputerWeekly.com - Feb 14, 2006
Graeme Hutchinson, Virgin Mobile sales and marketing director, said, “Virgin Mobile customers will be the first people in Europe to watch real broadcast TV over their mobile phones. It’s not downloaded, it’s not looped, but real TV just like you get at home, using crystal clear DAB sound. ”
BT has developed a strategic relationship with Microsoft to enable a secure and efficient environment for delivering broadcast services on a mobile handset. Microsoft's Windows Media technologies, including Windows Media Video and Windows Media Audio Pro, enable BT Movio to deliver high-quality audio and video content over the DAB network using minimal bandwidth. The BT Movio service also incorporates Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology to ensure secure delivery of premium video and music content. BT Movio will be available to other mobile operators at a later date.
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2006/02/14/214228/VirginMobileuserstogetliveTVoverDAB.htm
Dear Subscriber to TheStreet.com Stocks Under $10,
thestreet.com - Feb 10, 2006
Now let's take a look at the portfolio and some of the
moves we made this week. One quick note: Ones are stocks we would buy now, while
Twos are stocks we would buy only on a pullback from
current levels. And as a reminder:
-- A Game Breaker is going to change the landscape of an
industry, as Intel, Microsoft and Wal-Mart did in their
sectors. Investors can make big money in these stocks by
getting in before the crowd. -- Inflection Point stocks have a broken business model
that's on the mend but has yet to be recognized by the
market. Investors who recognize a turnaround early can
pocket strong returns. -- Stealth Stocks are often unknown names to the general
public, but can be hugely profitable investments,
especially when they score well in the Alpha component of
our proprietary rating system.
http://www.thestreet.com/k/su/archives/200602101711.html
Business Objects looks to VARs for SME BI lift
VNUNet.com - Feb 10, 2006
John Wilkinson, mid-market sales director for northern Europe at BusinessObjects, said: “We have various routes to market depending on the customers, butfor the SME market we have a two-tier model. For more sophisticated businessintelligence we go through VARs, with 25 key resellers, but we are looking todouble that over the next two years. ”Wilkinson said Business Objects wants 15 resellers this year that have accessto the SME market and may already be reselling ERP, CRM, supply chain managementor financial applications from Sage. Phil Wood, product and solutions marketing manager at Business Objects, saiddespite projected growth the BI market is under penetrated and Business Objectswants to use the channel to reach out to the mid-market. Gareth Horton, product manger at BI vendor Datawatch, said: “BI is growingand our main revenue is coming from the channel. We pull information fromreports and place it in databases to provide a summary or analysis. ”Horton added that software giant Microsoft is also taking BI seriously, andwill build BI capabilities into new versions of Excel and its forthcomingoperating system... Gareth Horton, product manger at BI vendor Datawatch, said: “BI is growingand our main revenue is coming from the channel. We pull information fromreports and place it in databases to provide a summary or analysis. ”Horton added that software giant Microsoft is also taking BI seriously, andwill build BI capabilities into new versions of Excel and its forthcomingoperating system. Rasmus Andsbjerg, research analyst at market watcher IDC, said: “BI isgrowing as it can help firms utilise data and improve customer relationships. ”Andsbjerg added that as an increased number of firms use softwareapplications to store data, the demand for BI will continue to rise.
http://www.vnunet.com/articles/print/2150157
See you soon.
