Microsoft, Google, Yahoo gain seats on OpenID Foundation board
What Yahoo's massive conversion to OpenID last month lacked is a way for Web sites to securely authenticate the users who have signed in. As it turns out, OpenID's directing body may want Microsoft to provide that part.
Almost exactly one year ago, Microsoft made a bold announcement at an RSA security conference, saying it would be working with the OpenID Foundation to craft a solution to the problem of spoofing authentication. As was hidden from precisely no one, that method would involve Microsoft's CardSpace technology.
Leaked Yahoo memo indicates reticence toward Microsoft bid
While Jerry Yang continues to advocate a bright and cheery attitude, there are clear indications that he's feeling trapped.
A Yahoo employees memo written yesterday by CEO Jerry Yang was leaked to the online industry publication Valleywag, and has apparently been verified by IDG through a check of the SEC database where such communications are also filed. The memo indicates that although Yang and his fellow executives have not yet reached a decision as to whether to accept Microsoft's takeover bid, his preference for now is to continue growing his company as though Microsoft had never said anything.
Nokia 'astonished' by German bank's retribution for plant layoffs
Massive public protests last month against Nokia's decision to move one of its major manufacturing facilities from Germany to Romania did little to stir the company. But a recall of federal subsidies by a leading bank there has apparently stirred the giant.
The gulf between Germany and Finland-based cell phone maker Nokia only grew wider today, as the company has now become the epitome of that country's growing outsourcing problem. Bochum, located in the westernmost state of Nordrhein-Westfalen (NRW), is where Nokia operates a key manufacturing facility that has already seen massive layoffs, and which now Nokia plans to close. One of the country's leading financial institutions for business development, NRW Bank, is also located there.
Microsoft releases stand-alone Outlook with CRM built-in
The Contacts feature in Microsoft Outlook 2007 gets a huge overhaul, with a new version released this morning that includes a Business Contact Manager. But that new feature will be an option, and for some, a costly upgrade.
Since it was introduced as part of Exchange 5.5, Microsoft Outlook has had the ability to record contacts on a simple database stored on the client's system. As time went on, that contacts list was shared with Windows...for better or worse. But the contacts system has essentially been a flat-file database, not a relational one. So while you could group contacts according to company, you couldn't exactly use that list as a way to maintain information that pertains to those contacts.
Adobe promotes former Macromedia leader to CTO post
In an announcement late Tuesday, Adobe said it is promoting its current senior vice president and chief software architect, Kevin Lynch, to what appears to be a new post with higher level of seniority.
Kevin Lynch was the Chief Software Architect of Adobe Systems, having joined the company through its 2005 acquisition of Macromedia, where he was seen as the co-creator of the Dreamweaver Web site development environment. Now it appears he'll be taking on new responsibilities there.
IDC suggests a Microsoft + Yahoo + Fast combo could be a strong #2
A third component could be key to an effective Yahoo / Microsoft merger could be an enterprise search solutions provider whose crown jewel is now part of Yahoo, but whose core business will soon be part of Microsoft, says an IDC report.
A panel of 13 IDC analysts led by research VP Susan Feldman coalesced all day and into the night on Friday, eventually producing a document touting the benefits not just of #3 online search provider Microsoft acquiring #2 provider Yahoo, but also continuing with its plans announced last month to acquire Fast Search & Transfer, the producer of dedicated search applications for enterprises.
IFPI plows ahead with Chinese court action against Baidu, Sohu
Despite a high court order last month finding Baidu not liable for copyright infringement, the recording industry's international representatives are renewing their complaint that it provides "deep links" to pirated MP3s.
Today, the recording industry's international representative agency IFPI is backing the efforts of three record labels that have decided to go forward with legal proceedings in China against that country's leading search engine, Baidu, and its #2 portal Sohu. The suit, according to IFPI, renews allegations from 2006 that the two companies provide "deep links" to unlicensed MP3s, and may profit from at least providing advertising alongside those links.
Roundtable part 2: Will Microsoft + Yahoo give everyone what he wants?
It's a vast and complex chess game Microsoft has launched, and with Google now wedging its foot in the door, there are more interests at stake now than just theirs and Yahoo's. Our panel of experts examine what's now at stake.
Last Friday, BetaNews spoke at length with a panel of experts analyzing the Microsoft takeover bid for Yahoo. Among the topics we discussed was trying to identify the motivations behind everyone involved at this point -- not just Yahoo and Microsoft but their various allies and partners, their competitors, and all of their customers. What does everyone want to come out of this clash of the titans? Or will customers be happier if all of this just stops?
Commerce Dept.: US has already achieved broadband saturation
A report released last week by the US Commerce Dept. congratulates itself and other members of the current administration for enabling the rapid deployment of broadband Internet service, which it now says is available to 92% of the country.
America entered the year 2000 with citizens living in more than 40% of its ZIP codes having no broadband Internet service provider available to them, according to figures released last week by the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (PDF available here), an agency of the Commerce Dept. At the end of 2006, that figure had declined to 0.4%; and at the end of last year, citing figures from analyst firm SNL Kagan, high-speed cable Internet service was available to 92% of all US households.
Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista SP1 released to manufacturing
The party is on for February 27th, as Microsoft confirms its star attraction, Windows Server 2008, will be released on time. Admins everywhere may now be breathing a sigh of relief.
There will be no delay from here on out in Microsoft's release of Windows Server 2008. As one of the company's "heroes" for its gala rollout party in Los Angeles in just over three weeks' time, WS2K8 will arrive neither early like its "hero" partner Visual Studio 2008, or late like SQL Server 2008, which will actually ship at least six months after it "launches."
Google positions itself as Yahoo's white knight against Microsoft
While it doesn't have the cash on hand to match or exceed Microsoft's offer -- few companies on Earth would -- Google went out of its way over the weekend to defend its chief competitor as an innovator, and is doing nothing to quell rumors as to what more it might do.
It could be a public relations move, to stave off criticism that Google's dominance in the paid search and advertising fields are forcing its competitors to coalesce in order to survive. It could also be a serious move by Google to offer itself as a "white knight," giving Yahoo an alternative to being swallowed whole by Microsoft.
Roundtable: Four experts dissect the Microsoft bid for Yahoo
It may be among one of the historical milestones in the history of technology, and it may never actually become a done deal. Why is Microsoft risking so much, what could it gain even by losing, and what does it really think it would gain by winning?
For an in-depth analysis of the strategy and motivations behind Microsoft's extraordinarily bold move, BetaNews on Friday spoke with four principal experts in the industry, both observers and insiders:
Ballmer: Yahoo would give Microsoft a 'consumer face' online
It would be a merger whose size and scope could only be rivaled by pharmaceutical companies earlier this decade. But Microsoft's objective now is to somehow convince everyone -- Yahoo's shareholders, its board, their combined customers, and let's not forget the trade regulators -- that the whole of the two companies will somehow be greater than the sum of all the other sums of their parts put together.
There are an inordinate number of questions arising from Microsoft's announced takeover bid of Yahoo, only a few of which financial analysts managed to successfully squeeze in this morning, during a conference call that was abruptly cut short at under a half-hour.
Microsoft makes colossal bid for Yahoo in wake of chairman's departure
Confirming that his company had indeed been in discussions with Yahoo's senior management about a possible takeover throughout the last 18 months, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed this morning he has personally placed an offer to Yahoo's board of directors, proposing a takeover whose value it estimates at $44.6 billion.
"We've been engaged in conversations with Yahoo management off and on for the last 18 months," Ballmer told reporters early this morning. He confirmed that he had a personal conversation with Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang yesterday, to discuss his formal offer to the board.
Motorola is considering restructuring its mobile business
In an extraordinary public admission Thursday afternoon, Motorola CEO Greg Brown issued a statement saying his company is indeed considering ways to restructure its mobile devices and services business.
Brown's statement this afternoon reads as follows: "All of our businesses have exceptional people, products and intellectual property and the ability to achieve category leadership in their markets. We are exploring ways in which our Mobile Devices Business can accelerate its recovery and retain and attract talent while enabling our shareholders to realize the value of this great franchise."
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