Microsoft Readies Windows 7 Release Candidate 2

April 30, 2009 Volume 4, Issue 17 Brought to you by Ziff Davis Enterprise Breaking Tech News On-the-Go! For the most up to date technology news from our knowledgeable and trusted editors, visit eWEEK mobile from your handheld device. Go to mobile.eweek.com. Bookmark eWeek.com. Microsoft touts its forthcoming Windows 7 operating system, while Verizon reportedly courts both Apple and Microsoft over smartphones.   Microsoft Readies Windows 7 Release Candidate 2 With the first reviews starting to build anticipation, Microsoft has begun touting Windows XP compatibility in Windows 7 and new approaches to dealing with malware. Of course, with the rise of virtualization there may be better ways to run Windows XP and Windows 7 side by side without raising security concerns. Elsewhere, Microsoft has released new service packs for Windows Vista and Windows Server and a new Office 2007 service pack.   Verizon Reportedly Cozying Up to Apple for iPhone Looks like the AT&T monopoly over the Apple iPhone may be nearing its end. But Verizon is also supposedly talking to Microsoft about a "Pink" competitor to the iPhone. In the meantime, Apple is readying a new Macintosh update that features a lot of iPhone integration.   Energy Star 5.0 Program for PCs Takes Effect July 1 A much more stringent Energy Star program for PCs, which will follow a new program for servers that started this week, will take effect July 1, just in time to influence Windows 7 sales. Elsewhere, Congress is getting ready to pass a new electronic waste bill.   IBM Partners with Brocade on Data Center Convergence There's a lot of speculation about how IBM will ultimately respond to new integrated servers from Cisco and Hewlett-Packard. But in the short term, it looks like IBM will be partnering with Brocade for networking equipment alongside Juniper Networks and Voltaire.   New Cloud Computing Integration Specification Proposed The need for open standards is starting to catch up with cloud computing as the DMTF (Distributed Management Task Force) weighs in. Elsewhere, IBM is promising a new cloud computing service, while Microsoft extended its cloud computing partnership with HP. Sun, meanwhile, moved its GlassFish identity management technology to the cloud and Heroku debuted on the Amazon.com cloud with a new approach that eliminates the need to provision servers. The hard part about cloud computing, however, is going to be figuring out the real costs.   Security Budget Pressures Mount IT professionals are trying to stretch the budget and get more out of every security dollar these days. Of course, Windows 7 is offering some significant security improvements as the overall security framework continues to evolve in response to more sophisticated threats like the Conficker worm, which is now starting to make its presence felt.   Intel Says 1 Stolen Laptop Costs $50,000 on Average As the worldwide cyber-criminal economy continues to grow, Intel says the total costs associated with a stolen laptop are much bigger then most companies realize. In general, everyone is calling for more collaboration to fight cyber-crime, but the only people that seem to have the tools we need are the military.   Swine Flu Raises Business Continuity Concerns While everybody tracks swine flu outbreaks on Google Maps, the whole issue of what a pandemic flu outbreak could mean in terms of business continuity is being overlooked. Mike Vizard's "What's Hot Now" Newsletter Management You are currently subscribed to the Mike Vizard's "What's Hot Now" newsletter as: ignoble.experiment@arconati.us If you no longer wish to receive Mike Vizard's "What's Hot Now", unsubscribe here Ziff Davis Enterprise 28 East 28th Street New York, New York 10016 Privacy Policy