Security World: Are you a threat to Microsoft?

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON WINDOWS NETWORKING TIPS
07/04/05
Today's focus: Are you a threat to Microsoft?

Dear security.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Report: Ballmer considers Microsoft users as the company's
biggest threat
* Links related to Windows Networking Tips
* Featured reader resource
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Ciena
NetworkWorld Special Report - The Adaptive WAN: The factors
driving WAN evolution

A combination of business and technology trends are changing the
demands on the enterprise WAN. This NetworkWorld Special Report
explores some of the key business and technology trends that are
driving and enabling the evolution of the enterprise WAN and how
the enterprise WAN can become adaptive to support these trends.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=107760
_______________________________________________________________
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT DATA-THEFTS?

For years, hackers have obtained confidential information by
manipulating legitimate users into revealing it. It's critical
that companies convey to their employees - local and remote -
why security measures are important. If you're curious to see
how your company's security efforts stack up, click here for
more:
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=107677
_______________________________________________________________

Today's focus: Are you a threat to Microsoft?

By Dave Kearns

So what's the greatest threat to the stability of Microsoft as
the leading software company in the universe? If you answered
"Linux," then you'd be in agreement with Steve Ballmer.

Way back in 2001, at an Internet conference hosted by Morgan
Stanley Dean Witter, Ballmer is reported to have said: "I think
you have to rate competitors that threaten your core higher than
you rate competitors where you're trying to take from them. It
puts the Linux phenomenon and the Unix phenomenon at the top of
the list ... I'd put the Linux phenomenon really as threat No.
1."

And certainly, for the past four years both the company and
Steve have acted as if Linux was "threat No. 1." That is, up
until last week.

Ballmer spoke at a Committee for the Economic Development of
Australia lunch from which the media was excluded. But attendees
reported that he claimed Windows users were now the biggest
threat to Microsoft domination. "People can continue to use
their PCs and Windows and Office for another 10, 15, 20 years,
unless there's something innovative that warrants a change or a
migration," Ballmer is reported to have told the attendees.

Well you, dear reader, knew that Microsoft feared inertia and
lethargy all along, didn't you? It seems that I've done annual -
sometimes semi-annual - newsletters about Microsoft's efforts to
get you to upgrade - from NT 3.51 to NT4, from NT 4 to Windows
2000 and from Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003. Not to
mention NT 4 to Windows Server 2003. (OK, I did mention it.
That's a quibble!)

Unfortunately, what Microsoft has been using to induce you to
upgrade is not "something innovative that warrants a change or a
migration," but the removal of support. It's not that there
haven't been changes, even desirable changes, with each new
server operating system; just that the cost of implementing the
new system (in terms of hardware, software and "humanware") was
much higher than the perceived benefit. In 20th century terms,
the Return on Investment hasn't often been positive.

So Steve is, essentially, correct. People like you aren't going
to upgrade (and pay megabucks to Microsoft) unless there's a
compelling reason to do so. The threat to remove support hasn't
worked. Promoting "features" such as friendlier GUIs, better
media players, animated help features (e.g., "Clippy") and more
aren't the things that'll convince a network manager to rip out
one server operating system and put in another. Better
networking tools will, though. Better use of server hardware for
server functions would be even better. Microsoft has the
opportunity to turn network managers from being its greatest
threat into its greatest friend.

CORRECTION: A couple of weeks ago (
<http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nt/2005/0613nt2.html> )
I said that Microsoft's Identity Integration Server (MIIS)
technology would be "in the box" with Windows Server 2003 R2.
What I meant, of course, was that MIIS would be moved into the
server operating system with the R2 release of Longhorn in about
2 to 3 years. The editing mistake was entirely mine.
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Dave Kearns

Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's
written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print
"Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be
found at Virtual Quill <http://www.vquill.com/>.

Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows
Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management.
Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these

respective addresses: <mailto:windows@vquill.com>,
<mailto:netware@vquill.com>, <mailto:identity@vquill.com>.

Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books,
manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing,
technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill
provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at
<mailto:info@vquill.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Ciena
NetworkWorld Special Report - The Adaptive WAN: The factors
driving WAN evolution

http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=107759
_______________________________________________________________
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http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nt/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE
FOCUS ON RECOVERY

IT professionals are changing the way they back up and recover
data, experts say, with new emphasis on the speedier fetching of
data made possible by advancing technologies. At a recent
storage conference in Orlando, disk-based backup solutions were
touted - find out if attendees agreed and if faster storage
solutions will soon be available. Click here:
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2005/062005-data-recovery.html>
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Security World

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Are you a threat to Microsoft?

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