14 DAY TRIAL // The Windows Week started on Monday with some bad news for Microsoft, coming directly from the UK: a Government agency has announced they'll devise a review about Microsoft products and about their impact on schools and colleges.
BECTA (The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) declared that the review will observe the scope, the licensing price and the degree of the schools' needs coverage. Also, BECTA will take in consideration the new facilities of Windows Vista and Office 12 and their educational features for these two products. The organization wants to use this review to offer schools and colleges the possibility of choosing between viable alternatives, saying that in the regions where only one software producer exists there is always a monopoly-intention.
The review will not be directed only at Microsoft products, so there is the risk that, in the UK, Microsoft's domination could come to an end.
Also on Monday, the idea of Windows On Mac made some big steps. This means a new source of money for the "giant" Microsoft. When Apple presented their new Intel-based Macintosh computers, they talked for the first time about dual-booting, which means the simultaneous running of Mac OS and the rival Microsoft Windows. This new association can bring again new wins for Microsoft, especially from the utilization of their enterprise products designer for large companies.
According to JupiterResearch, 21% of companies with 10.000 or more employees use Mac OS. For some producers, using Apple and Microsoft products can be extremely important.
On Monday, Microsoft announced that this summer they will ship hardware products created especially for Mac computers: the wireless mouse and keyboard will be distributed together and they will cost around US$99. However, Microsoft could not get Apple's permission to use the Apple logo on the "Apple" key, so a clover will be used. The decision to create these products was taken especially because the old compatible Microsoft products had some bugs and users' facilities where limited.
Tuesday, started, like Monday, with some bad news for Microsoft fans: the new Windows XP Service Pack 3 will not be ready until year 2007. This date is offered by the software "giant" with one year later after the initial date.
Also, Microsoft wanted to present Service Pack 3 before the new Windows Vista, whose release day is expected in the second or third quarter of 2006.
Tuesday brought in the first security update for the non-released Windows Vista. The update will fix a bug in how Vista's graphic rendering engine processes Windows Meta File (WMF) images. The bug was first discovered in December 2005 and was very quickly exploited by hackers to infect the system with spyware, adware and other malware.
On Wednesday, a security researcher warned Windows 2000 and Windows XP users about a bug that exists in wireless network configurations, a bug which permits attackers access to the connection and hard disk files.
Labeling the problem as a configuration error and not a vulnerability, researcher Mark Loveless explained this flaw: when Windows searches for a wireless connections and it doesn't find one it will create an opened connection which can be exploited by hackers. Via this connection, an attacker can send infected objects and will have the possibility to view hard disk files.
Loveless also said that in Windows 2000 and Windows XP it can all happen without an user notification, but in Windows XP SP2 the user is announced that an unidentified connection was created. He sustains that Microsoft was announced about this security flaw in October 2005 but, since then, no confirmation came. Everybody hopes that Service Pack 3 will patch up this bug.
By the time, Mark Loveless advises users to block wireless connections when they're not used, and wait the upcoming updates coming at the start of 2007.
Thursday, into a state press, was announced Microsoft's decision to invest about 100 millions dollars in the next 3 to 5 years in China, the second biggest Internet market, with approximately 111 millions users.
The Shanghai Daily published an article claiming that the investment comes as a reply to Google's and Yahoo's pressure, and will be directed into Internet, research and development in the mobile communications areas.
Microsoft's vice president declared that the Internet is the main focus for their investments. The software "giant" has already established a group of researchers in Beijing to start the Chinese MSN area.
Microsoft plans to hire 3000 people by the end of 2008, up to 800 staff being already employed.
Friday, rumors that the follower of Vista is named "Vienna" were confirmed by Microsoft's officials. Until now it was known under the codename "Blackcomb".
Microsoft's officials declared that the name was modified into "Vienna" but this doesn't represent a big change. Regarding the source for the name, the officials sustained that they used in the past some other city and location names, being some places that everybody wants to visit and they capture human imagination, just like a Microsoft product.
Also on Friday, vice president of Microsoft's Security Technology Unit Mike Nash agreed to answer some questions on Slashdot, a community website based on news. This means a big step in the relation between Microsoft and his customers, and Nash's answers are expected sometime next week.
Some of the many questions were: "What is the status of the Windows OneCare program? Is a released product expected soon?" "Has open-source software such as Linux influenced the way you think about security in Windows, and if so, how?"
