By unusual, we mean this
Zero-Day Wednesday follows up with the biggest
Patch Tuesday so far this year, with 14 fixes in this one, adding up to an out-of-band release last week. It's a doozy, so update carefully.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 08/12/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Okay, okay. I keep telling you about those numbers that are coming soon. Well, soon is here and now you can
read it for yourself. It's still good to be an IT professional, what with the crazy recession. The numbers say so, right?
I won't say exactly what's so good about those numbers, because, hey, I like getting the clicks on the story. Already, though, I've heard from some readers who tell me that it's been incredibly difficult to rejoin the workforce because of a lack of jobs, let alone even think about what salaries IT people made last year. Yes, it's tough for lots of folks out there, even IT pros. I hear ya. So, essentially what I'm hearing from readers, especially those who have been on the dole, is this: Salaries are nice, if you can keep one.
I'd like to hear from readers who still come to this site for info, even though they might be out of work. What are you doing in between IT jobs to keep your spirits up or to keep busy and continue staying abreast of technology? Are you doing volunteer work? Are you continuing to study up for certifications? Are you completing some pet projects that involve technology? Let's hear it. And write to me if you'd rather share it anonymously.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 08/05/2010 at 11:59 AM1 comments
Now you can write code, even though you've never done it before..
Microsoft's LightSwitch is supposed to allow users to write .NET-based business apps in the cloud and on-premise desktops. Basically, it's all wizards and templates.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 08/05/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
For those who struggle with the notion of obtaining a degree vs. keeping up on practical knowledge in IT, there's good news: Why not do both?
The Born2Learn site posts a matrix of 21 Microsoft certification exams that can be counted toward college credit (mainly lower division, but there are some upper division ones). Yes, the benefits are ginormous, such as fulfilling certifications through corporate tuition assistance (that is, if your company offers it).
Here's a bonus: If you've taken any of the exams listed, you can get credit for them on your transcript. That'll help those who are currently in the process of matriculating (although it won't help if you paid out of pocket to obtain those certificates). More info here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/29/2010 at 11:59 AM1 comments
You can
poke fun at the iPad all you want, but it has pushed Apple to
greatness. There's no more snarky giggling coming from Redmond. Instead, the beads of sweat gleam from every pore of Ballmer's dome is him getting
serious about slates (not to be confused with tablets, I guess). The million-dollar question: Are slates where the company should be waging its next war?
Chime in here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/29/2010 at 11:59 AM2 comments
We already know that Windows 7 adoption is big, based on
findings from our own readers. Results of a Computer Economics survey back up our observations to a degree, with about a third of organizations deploying it or planning to (
read about it from our very own Online News Editor, Kurt Mackie).
Noteworthy -- and good news for Microsoft -- is that CE's study found that Windows servers runs at the majority of the world's data centers. It kind of puts all the hubbub about Microsoft's failures into perspective, eh?
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/29/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
A recent survey of
Redmond magazine readers show that more than half have planned or will have deployed Windows 7 by the end of 2010. Not that that's any indication of the adoption rate among the IT populace in general, but suffice it to say that adoption has been healthy. For those who have yet to do it, nearly 23 percent expect to deploy by the end of 2011. Perhaps the trigger will be
SP1, which is expected in the first half of 2011.
Question: Have you been waiting for SP1 to start deploying Windows 7 at your company? Comment here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/22/2010 at 11:59 AM1 comments
A survey of IT managers (how many, I dunno) from ITIC and Sunbelt Software shows 79 percent are likely to deploy Macs on enterprise desktops. The number is striking, and so is the pie chart depicting it, at SAI Chart of the Day,
here. Should Microsoft be worried? And are you looking at deploying more Mac hardware (excluding iPhones, that is)?
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/22/2010 at 11:59 AM3 comments
The iPhone 4 and iPad helped Apple hit one out of the park in Q3, with an awesome $15.7B in revenue that brought in $3.25B in profit. Not to be outdone, Microsoft reported Q4 results that were just as spectacular: $16B in rev, $4.52B net. And both companies are now running neck and neck in market cap.
The competitive spirit between the two companies is alive and well. Apple won't be content to rest on its successes. Microsoft has proven it can make money, but to maintain the ch-ching into the future, it definitely needs to produce more excitement for its technology. Redmond seems to be getting corporate customers' interest piqued in the cloud, and it promises to do better with its smartphone strategy. Yes, pitched battle between them and against Google guarantees, at the very least: more innovation, more improvement in products (both hardware and software), and hopefully, better solutions up and down the line from consumers to corporate customers.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/22/2010 at 11:59 AM4 comments
I found
this list of Microsoft trivia, via Mashable, to be interesting. Look at Factoid #5: the average Microsoft employee is a developer who makes $106,000. (Factoid #5 alone, as short as it is, is packed with interesting trivia, but go to Mashable to read more.) It beats out the figures of our own readers. We've got details next month, so stay tuned.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/20/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Now we get why Essential Business Server went the way of the dodo. There are
two new versions of Small Business Server, one that's cloud-enabled. Microsoft's message on its cloud strategy is at fever pitch, and that was clearly evident at last week's Worldwide Partner Conference; you can read more
here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/20/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments