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Microsoft is investigating new public reports of a vulnerability in supported versions of Microsoft Windows. Customers who are running Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 in their default configurations, with the Enhanced Security Configuration turned on, are not affected. We are also aware of proof of concept code published publicly. We are not aware of any attacks attempting to use the reported vulnerability or of customer impact at this time. We will continue to investigate these public reports.
The ActiveX control called out in the public reports and in the Proof of Concept code is the Microsoft WebViewFolderIcon ActiveX control (Web View). The vulnerability exists in Windows Shell and is exposed by Web View.
We are working on a security update currently scheduled for an October 10 release.
Customers are encouraged to keep their anti-virus software up to date.
Adoption of Office Open XML Formats could lower global supply chain costs for industry
Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corporation, in a joint effort to improve supplier collaboration in the high-tech industry, today announced they have proposed the next-generation of open, interoperable business standards for small to medium enterprise supplier collaboration, based on the Microsoft® Office Open XML Formats for documents.
The two companies are helping drive community consensus and standardization of this approach by co-sponsoring the next-generation RosettaNet Automated Enablement program as part of the RosettaNet consortium, which is holding its global council summit this week in Santa Clara, Calif. RosettaNet is a global standards-setting organization committed to finding better ways to achieve a globally integrated value network.
Under the management of the open standards body Ecma International, the Open XML document formats are now being finalized as a worldwide standard by a group of industry leaders, including Intel and Microsoft. The document format standard offers flexible support for integration of external XML information, which is critical to RosettaNet requirements.
“Microsoft is investing in the creation of interoperable technologies for the high-tech manufacturing industry that enable companies of all sizes to effectively collaborate across the global value chain,” said Kevin Turner, chief operating officer of Microsoft, at the company’s Global High-Tech Summit held today in Santa Clara, Calif. “The adoption of the Office Open XML standard will mean that manufacturing companies are able to use the 2007 Microsoft Office system not only as a document-authoring tool for information workers, but also as an effective supply chain platform for value-chain integration.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that supply chain inadequacies waste $3.9 billion a year in the high-tech and electronics industry alone. Due in part to its built-in interoperability through XML, the 2007 Microsoft Office platform is an investment that promises to pay dividends to high-tech manufacturing companies industrywide. A standard based on the Office Open XML Formats, if widely adopted by supplier companies, could result in financial and time savings.
“Microsoft’s work with Ecma International on Open XML is another example of the spirit of cooperation, innovation and leadership in the RosettaNet community to promote more efficient, collaborative commerce through open, global standards,” said Herman Stiphout, president of RosettaNet. “As more companies utilize RosettaNet standards to unlock value in their business, standards-based solutions like these will provide greater connectivity and interoperability, particularly in our efforts to expand to small and medium-sized companies.”
Microsoft COO Kevin Turner keynotes forum of leading industry experts.
Targeting challenges facing the high-tech manufacturing industry, Microsoft Corp. today at its inaugural Global High-Tech Summit unveiled four key solution areas addressing the need to innovate new products faster, streamline operations, improve value chain integration and collaboration, and increase sales.
The four solution areas, which include product life-cycle management, plant operations and lean manufacturing, supply chain visibility and collaboration, and sales and customer service, encompass both Microsoft® platform technologies and partner solutions linked through industry standards. Microsoft built the solution areas based on feedback from industry leaders, partners and customers about the major pains facing the high-tech industry, particularly the need for improved collaboration between employees, customers and suppliers.
“Microsoft is focused on empowering people to drive the business forward,” said Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner, who keynoted the event and spoke of Microsoft’s own experiences in the high-tech manufacturing marketplace. “Microsoft is deeply committed to the advancement of the high-tech manufacturing industry, and we are working closely with our partners to deliver solutions that amplify the impact of people, enabling individuals to work smarter and more effectively to address the complex challenges of their business.”
Among more than 400 attendees at the event, Microsoft outlined its vision for the high-tech manufacturing industry, focusing on empowering people to anticipate, innovate and deliver world-class products and services through enhanced collaboration. At the event, Microsoft partners Applied Materials Inc., Asyst Technologies Inc., Brooks Software, Camstar Systems Inc., Cognizant Technology Solutions, Dell Inc., EMC Corp., Fullscope Inc., HP, i2 Technologies, Kinaxis, OSIsoft Inc., The PEER Group Inc., PRTM, Sopheon, UGS Corp., Unisys Corp. and Wipro Ltd. also announced their support of Microsoft’s high-tech manufacturing vision.
In addition, Microsoft announced the establishment of a customer advisory board composed of companies representing various market segments, including Applied Materials, Flextronics International, Juniper Networks Inc., NVIDIA Corp., Xilinx Inc and others.
This formal creation of an advisory board builds upon ongoing industry insight Microsoft obtains from customers and partners and will help the company guide its strategic direction and future investments in the industry. It also aligns with Microsoft’s continued commitment of listening to the voice of the customer to stay on top of the challenges and opportunities facing high-tech companies.
High-tech manufacturing is shifting from leveraging IT investments primarily for automation to helping people work toward achieving peak performance. As a result, instead of focusing solely on efficiencies and cost-cutting, many industry leaders are beginning to invest in technology to spur innovation and business growth.
“According to Eric Austvold, research director at AMR Research Inc., “High-tech companies in particular are more likely to increase their IT budgets, but at a moderate level. … While moderate, this increase still says two things about the economic environment today. First, future forecasted business is favorable, and companies are willing to reinvest in the business. Second, companies believe productivity gains can be made by investing in IT, especially in fragmented supply networks more often found in the high-tech industry.*
“Microsoft’s high-tech customers are faced with tremendous pressures to drive innovation and productivity, while removing costs in operations and supply chain processes,” said Tyler Bryson, U.S. high-tech industry solutions director at Microsoft. “At the same time, they are more dependent than ever on design and manufacturing partnerships to deliver products to market. We believe that by connecting people and business processes across organizations, Microsoft is helping high-tech businesses better compete in the global marketplace.”
Microsoft’s X06 Xbox 360 and Games for Windows lineup showcases award-winning, exclusive next-generation titles, blockbuster franchises and the most anticipated games.
In the city that helped influence the works of artists including Gaudi, Miró and Picasso, Microsoft Corp. delivered the fine art of gaming at X06 showcasing an extensive, groundbreaking collection of games for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, Games for Windows® and Xbox Live® Arcade for Xbox 360. For the holiday season and beyond, Microsoft offers amazing experiences for all types of gamers — ranging from the hard-core gamer with the award-winning “Gears of War®” to the gamer interested in a variety of genres with the broad reach title “Viva Piñata™.”
Xbox 360 games arriving for the holidays include these:
Concept facility on Microsoft campus features new and updated displays spanning communications, entertainment and information management.
As part of its ongoing investments in exploring how software-driven innovations might influence consumers’ lives over the next five to 10 years, Microsoft Corp. today unveiled a host of new and updated technologies in the Microsoft® Home. The latest scenarios on display in this unique concept facility, which first opened 12 years ago, highlight prototype devices and software designed to deliver enriched entertainment, information and communication experiences throughout the home.
“Technology is woven throughout the fabric of people’s daily lives, not only at work and school but increasingly in every room of their home,” said , director of the Consumer Prototyping and Strategy Team at Microsoft. “With the Microsoft Home, we strive to continuously re-imagine and extend the limits of what technology can do to make their daily activities more enjoyable, efficient and productive.”
Visitors to the Microsoft Home, located inside the company’s Executive Briefing Center on the Redmond campus, can experience consumer technology innovations that are likely to emerge in Microsoft and partner products over the coming decade. These new technologies are presented through hands-on scenarios that highlight the following themes:
Place. A series of demonstrations showcase how software, services and devices can combine to deliver timely, relevant information to people based on their location, whether inside the home or nearby. One example is display technology shown in the neighborhood bus stop that provides continuous updates of route and arrival information, and is used to demonstrate how location services can automatically notify people about services near them or even when someone they know arrives at the bus stop.
Participation. Reflecting consumers’ widespread desire to more directly shape their sources of information and entertainment — through blogs, social networking Web sites, wikis and the like — the Microsoft Home features several emerging technologies designed to extend people’s self-expression. For instance, a teenager’s bedroom in the facility portrays what it would be like to have addressable wallpaper that employs organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology to display a variety of content such as artwork, video clips and Web pages.
Discovery. Technology systems throughout the Microsoft Home demonstrate innovative ways of prioritizing the huge volumes of information, media and content choices to which consumers will have access in the future. These systems can filter through myriad content sources — from thousands of TV channels, news reports, e-mail messages and electronic documents to music files, on-demand videos and blog entries — to intelligently bring people the content they care about most and at the time when they’re in the mood to enjoy it.
Since 1994, the Microsoft Home has served as a launch pad for new ways of thinking about technology’s potential impact on people’s daily lives. Developers from the Consumer Prototyping and Strategy Team work closely with Microsoft Research personnel and various product groups to create the futuristic technologies that are displayed there. Tours of the facility are conducted by invitation only for Microsoft customers, partners and members of the press. Additional details about the Microsoft Home, including information on how to request a tour, can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/mshome/default.mspx.
Companies to explore digital opportunities for next-generation broadcasting.
The British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) and Microsoft Corp. took a step toward strengthening their working alliance yesterday when the two companies signed a nonexclusive memorandum of understanding.
The memorandum of understanding will define the framework within which the companies can explore opportunities for the delivery and consumption of BBC content and the evolution of next-generation broadcasting.
In Seattle, as part of a fact-finding tour of the U.S., BBC director General Mark Thompson and director of new media and technology Ashley Highfield met Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates to officially sign the memorandum of understanding and discuss the BBC’s digital strategy. This includes plans for its online archive, for a radically re-invented Web site in the Web 2.0 world — a second generation of Internet-based services — and for ways to share its online content in the future.
“We are currently witnessing unprecedented rates of change in technology and audience expectations,” Thompson said. “To ensure that the BBC is able to embrace the creative challenges of the digital future, we need to forge strategic partnerships with technology companies and distributors for the benefit of licence payers.”
“Microsoft’s strength is in driving digital innovation, and our vision is to open up rich, new consumer experiences that allow people to enjoy digital content anytime, anywhere and on any device,” Gates said. “This vision fits squarely with the BBC’s charter to lead the industry in delivering content that is compelling and accessible. I’m delighted that we’re taking this important step, and I look forward to working together to develop new models for content delivery and consumption.”
“Microsoft is not just a key supplier to the BBC, it is also a key gateway to audiences that the BBC needs to reach through Web services it runs like MSN® and Windows Live™ Messenger, and hardware such as Xbox® and the Windows Media® Center,” Highfield said. “The BBC needs to work with all players in this space to make sure our programs and content are enjoyed by the widest possible audience, without always having to come to bbc.co.uk to find it. The learnings from our U.S. visit will very much inform our thinking on the BBC’s creative future.”
The memorandum of understanding aims to identify areas of common interest between the BBC and Microsoft on which a strategic alliance could be developed. Areas of potential investigation and collaboration include search and navigation, distribution, and content enablement. Any actual procurements of new technology, or launch of new services by the BBC, would be subject to appropriate regulatory approval.
For $249.99, consumers will get an incredible entertainment experience right out of the box:
30GB digital media player will come equipped with wireless functionality for Zune-to-Zune sharing of music, pictures and home recordings; a bright, three-inch LCD video screen that works in portrait or landscape mode to view pictures and videos; and a built-in FM tuner. The device will be available in three colors: black, brown and white.
A selection of preloaded content including songs, music videos and film shorts are installed on the device’s hard drive to help consumers discover new artists and entertainment.
Zune makes it easy to find music you love — whether it’s songs in your existing library or new music from the Zune Marketplace:
Its dynamic music service will be continually updated with new content and experiences so there is always something to discover. The Zune Marketplace lets users browse and purchase songs individually.
A Zune Pass subscription gives consumers access to millions of songs for $14.99 per month.
Users can purchase songs individually using Microsoft® Points for 79 points per track. Similar to a pre-paid phone card, Microsoft Points is a stored value system that can be redeemed at a growing number of online stores, including the Xbox Live® Marketplace. Full Story At Source
In addition, consumers can choose from a full line of accessories to enhance the Zune experience and help Zune users enjoy their entertainment where they want to, at home or on the road. Accessories range in price from $19.99 to $99.99.
“On Nov. 14 we’re delivering not only a device, but a shared, social experience that will be shaped by the collective imagination of consumers,” said Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Zune. “We’re infusing the spirit of discovery and sharing into everything we do — from the experience we crafted around the device and service to pre-loading music and videos on every device to expose people to something new.”
New product provides advanced protection for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.
Microsoft Corp. today is launching the public beta of Forefront Security for SharePoint® (http://www.microsoft.com/forefront). This latest release of Microsoft® Forefront security products for businesses is based on Antigen for SharePoint Server, the multi-engine security solution acquired by Microsoft as part of the acquisition of Sybari Software Inc. in 2005.
Forefront Security for SharePoint is optimized to provide advanced protection for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows® SharePoint Services 3.0. Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies facilitate easy collaboration across an organization, connecting people, processes and systems within and beyond organizational boundaries. Forefront Security for SharePoint uses the combined power of multiple antivirus engines from leading security providers to protect against viruses, unwanted files and inappropriate content.
“As business customers use collaboration software to connect internal users, customers and partners in an increasing variety of ways, they want to maintain the highest level of protection for critical business information,” said Margaret Arakawa, senior director of Security and Access Product Marketing at Microsoft. “Forefront Security for SharePoint facilitates these new collaboration scenarios by providing a layer of advanced protection against the rapidly evolving threat landscape.”
Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint delivers the following:
Protection against the latest threats. Forefront Security for SharePoint simultaneously utilizes up to five antivirus engines from leading security vendors to provide customers with increased protection against malware threats, inappropriate content and dangerous files types. This latest release includes the new Microsoft Antivirus engine.
Integration to help optimize server performance.: Integration with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, as well as scanning innovations and performance controls, help ensure optimal collaboration server performance.
Simplified management control.: Forefront Security for SharePoint provides centralized management control to help ensure organizations can simply and cost-effectively deploy, manage and maintain the security of their collaboration servers.
“We have been using Antigen for SharePoint for the last three years to help protect our SharePoint installation, which serves 20,000 Getronics employees globally,” said Romolo Pallini, vice president of Infrastructure & Networks at Getronics. “As we begin evaluating the 2007 version of SharePoint Products and Technologies, we look forward to testing this next-generation Forefront security product, which continues Antigen’s fine tradition of multiple scan engine protection for collaboration servers.”
Product Availability
The launch of Forefront Security for SharePoint will coincide with the general availability of Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, which are scheduled to be available to businesses by the end of 2006 and generally available in early 2007. It will be available through Microsoft’s global channel of Security Solutions Competency partners. Companies can download the beta release at http://www.microsoft.com/forefront.
Microsoft is investigating new public reports of limited “zero-day” attacks using a vulnerability in Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, Microsoft PowerPoint 2002, Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003, Microsoft PowerPoint 2004 for Mac, and Microsoft PowerPoint v. X for Mac.
In order for this attack to be carried out, a user must first open a malicious PowerPoint file attached to an e-mail or otherwise provided to them by an attacker.
As a best practice, users should always exercise extreme caution when opening unsolicited attachments from both known and unknown sources. Microsoft has added detection to the Windows Live OneCare safety scanner for up-to-date removal of malicious software that attempts to exploit this vulnerability.
Microsoft is also actively sharing information with Microsoft Security Response Alliance partners so that their detection can be up to date to detect and remove attacks.
Evaluation based on completeness of vision and ability to execute.
Microsoft Corp. is positioned in the “Leaders” quadrant of the 2006 E-Mail Security Boundary Magic Quadrant, published this week by Gartner, Inc. The report evaluates services and products including Microsoft® Exchange Hosted Services (http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/services) and Forefront Security for Exchange Server (http://www.microsoft.com/forefront). According to Gartner, “Leaders” are performing well today, have a clear vision of market direction and are actively seeking competencies to sustain their leadership position in the market.
“We are delighted to be placed in the “Leaders” quadrant by Gartner because we believe it is validation of our commitment to delivering leading e-mail security products and services,” said Andy Lees, corporate vice president of Server and Tools Marketing at Microsoft. “Our work in e-mail security is an integral part of our broader security strategy and our overall commitment to helping customers protect information and control access to their IT infrastructure.”
Microsoft’s current enterprise e-mail security gateway offering includes the Exchange Hosted Services line, which features e-mail filtering, archiving, encryption and recovery. These technologies were acquired in August 2005 from FrontBridge Technologies Inc.
For on-premise e-mail gateway protection, customers can choose Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server, which is deployed on an Exchange 2007 Edge Server. Forefront Security for Exchange Server is the next generation of Microsoft Antigen for Exchange, which was released to market in early June. Both versions feature a multiple scan engine approach to provide layered protection for Exchange Server 2007 against the latest viruses, worms and spam. Forefront Security for Exchange Server is in public beta and scheduled for release at the end of 2006 or in early 2007.
Microsoft partnership with Peter Jackson creates two new interactive entertainment series for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live.
On the shores of one of the world’s most artistic and progressive cities, Microsoft Corp. today thrilled attendees at its annual X06 event with announcements and gameplay experiences by inviting everyone to play the next generation now on the Xbox 360™ system. The announcements highlight how the world’s greatest game creators are stretching the bounds of what’s possible in high definition and online storytelling and included the following:
A landmark partnership announced between Academy Award-winning writer, director and producer Peter Jackson, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Fran Walsh, and Microsoft Game Studios will create two new interactive entertainment series exclusively for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live®. The first series will be a collaborative effort with Bungie Studios to co-create the next great chapter in the “Halo®” universe. The second series will be an entirely original property targeted at bringing new audiences into the captivating world of interactive entertainment. In addition, Microsoft Game Studios will partner with Jackson and Walsh to establish Wingnut Interactive, a studio dedicated to the creation of world-class interactive entertainment.
“Halo Wars” is an all-new real-time strategy game based on the legendary “Halo” universe and designed exclusively for Xbox 360 by Ensemble Studios, creators of the “Age of Empires®” franchise.
Rockstar and Take-Two announced they will provide Xbox 360 gamers with exclusive access to two downloadable, epic episodes of “Grand Theft Auto IV” via Xbox Live, each with hours of entirely new gameplay and available only on Xbox 360 just months after the release of the title.
Ubisoft confirmed that the next “Splinter Cell” title, the next installment in the series after “Splinter Cell Double Agent,” will be a console-exclusive on Xbox 360, a testament to the ability of Xbox 360 to deliver a complete experience no other console can match.
2K Games confirmed that “BioShock,” a revolution in the genre that will forever change the expectations for first-person shooters, will be released exclusively on Xbox 360 and Microsoft® Windows® next spring.
“Project Gotham Racing® 4,” the latest addition to the best-selling racing franchise from Bizarre Creations exclusively for Xbox 360, was unveiled. “Project Gotham Racing 4” promises to continue the “Project Gotham Racing” pedigree of innovation by introducing exciting new experiences to racing fans worldwide.
The beloved “Banjo-Kazooie®” franchise will breathe new, high-definition life on Xbox 360 exclusively from famed developer Rare Ltd.; astonishing next-generation visuals and presentation reunite beloved characters Banjo, Kazooie and Gruntilda — among other fan favorites — with their sharp wit and hilarious sense of humor.
Microsoft Game Studios announced its highly anticipated new massively multiplayer online game, “Marvel Universe Online” for Xbox 360 and the Windows Vista™ operating system, developed by industry luminaries Cryptic Studios, creators of the smash hit “City of Heroes.”
Two additions to Xbox Live Arcade were announced: the first-person shooter that pioneered the network-gaming era, “DOOM®,” from acclaimed developer id Software and Activision, is available today for download via Xbox Live Arcade. The game includes the original four-episode, single-player game, four-player split screen (cooperative and deathmatch) and four-player cooperative and deathmatch over Xbox Live. Also coming to Xbox Live Arcade soon is “Sensible World of Soccer” from Codemasters. Based on the classic 1994 Amiga title, “Sensible World of Soccer” will let gamers choose between the original graphics or an updated, high-resolution look and feel — while still capturing the original’s entire world of football.
Arriving at retailers in North America, the U.K, France and Germany in mid-November 2006, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player will retail for $199.99 in North America (estimated retail price)* and €199.99/£129.99 (estimated retail price)* in the U.K., France and Germany. The Xbox 360 HD DVD Player comes with the Universal Pictures’ blockbuster film Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” on HD DVD (for a limited time) and the Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.
Strategic alignment with partners is key to Microsoft's long-term enterprise strategy.
Microsoft’s Enterprise and Partner Group (EPG) announced today that Peter Boit will fill the newly created role of vice president for Enterprise Partners, effective immediately. Boit will move from his previous role as vice president of the Microsoft Worldwide Commercial Sector group within EPG, where he has spent the past three years developing the team, industry strategy, solutions and partnerships to enhance satisfaction among Microsoft’s commercial customers in the manufacturing, financial services and retail & hospitality industries, and the past year taking the group beyond the U.S. to its current global focus.
In his new role, Boit will work closely with Simon Witts, corporate vice president of the EPG Worldwide, and Allison Watson, corporate vice president of Worldwide Partner Group, as well as senior business group leaders, to evolve Microsoft’s engagement with enterprise partners around the world and subsidiary Partner Team Units. A 15-year Microsoft veteran, Boit brings extensive field, industry and licensing experience to the role, and is expected to have a major influence as the company delivers upon its partner value proposition for the People-Ready Business.
As part of the announcement, PressPass spoke with Boit to understand his new role and the impact it will have on Microsoft’s work with enterprise partners.
PressPass: What will you focus on in your new role?
Boit: Strategic initiatives are great and important, but execution is what matters. I’m very focused on demonstrating leadership, executing on commitments, getting the model right and replicating it, and ensuring that we drive a win-win situation with our partners.
How do you do that? I believe you have to align on mutual priorities, and also have a very clear road map for how you execute, all the way down into the field with customers. I’ll be working to ensure that we align with our partners when it comes to the market opportunities in the enterprise and that we establish a consistent, predictable and high-value engagement model around the world.
PressPass: How will your past experiences help?
Boit: My focus has always been on developing a strong and broad partner background, incorporating sales, partner alignment, strategic initiatives and bottom-line deliverables that contribute to joint success between Microsoft and its partners. Over the past three years, I have worked with our commercial industries on a worldwide and U.S. level. Before that, I spent time leading other sales businesses, our licensing business and also our Customer and Partner Experience initiative. Strong field leadership experience at subsidiary and global levels, driving sales and broad initiatives that require cross-company mobilization, as well as managing billion dollar businesses — all of that has helped me understand and address the challenges and opportunities that our partners face. Continue At Source