Kicking off what he called the "live era" of software, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said on Tuesday that the company plans to launch new Internet-based complements to its core products. Gates said Microsoft is working on two products, "Windows Live" and "Office Live," that create opportunities for the company to sell online subscriptions and advertising. Both are targeted at smaller businesses and consumers. The products won’t replace the company’s ubiquitous operating system or productivity suite, and people don’t need to have that software loaded to tap into the Web versions. Gates said that Windows Live is a set of Internet-based personal services, such as e-mail, blogging and instant messaging. It will be primarily supported by advertising and be separate from the operating system itself. Office Live will come in both ad-based and subscription versions that augment the popular desktop productivity suite. But free products won’t replace paid software. Many of the Live releases will have payment tiers, Gates said, with the lowest levels free and ad-supported, and higher-end versions paid for by the user.

The sudden appearance of a rootkit file in a spyware-laden IM worm attack has set off new fears that malicious hackers are sophisticated enough to launch a fully automated worm attack against instant messaging networks. In the most recent attack aimed at users of America Online Inc.’s AIM network, the "lockx.exe" rootkit file was bundled with a new variant of the W32/Sdbot Trojan to create a nasty mix of hidden malware.

This new version includes major usability enhancements, improved compression technology, and for more demanding users, a new Pro feature set with very useful additional functionality. Both WinZip 10.0 Standard and Pro offer additional compression algorithms (PPMd and bzip2), allowing you to make even smaller Zip files, and offer a new Explorer-style view of your Zip file contents, making it easier to navigate complex, multi-folder Zip files. Other enhancements include: the ability to create split (multi-volume) Zip files during compression, automatic update checking, and protection from potentially dangerous files with WinZip’s built-in support of Windows XP SP2’s Attachment Manager.

The nation’s top court said it will not hear Microsoft’s latest appeal of a 2003 Illinois jury decision adverse to Microsoft, and concerning the browser’s use of a technology for downloading software programs. The University of California patented the coding, and Chicago-based Eolas Technologies Inc. has licensed exclusive use of it since 1998. The legal wrangling is said to be among the most important the Internet has faced in a decade because at its heart lies technology that’s been around since 1998 that allows Web browsers to use applications they encounter during their Web wanderings.

At the Microsoft Exchange Conference 2005, MessageOne announced the exclusive availability of a new book that details the top ten essential rules to ensure that Microsoft Exchange-based email systems are always available–no matter what. The three authors, Paul Robichaux, Chris Scharff, and Ben Winzenz, have all achieved the Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) honor signifying their high level of technical achievement for Microsoft Exchange. MessageOne will provide free copies of the book, The Microsoft MVP Guide to Exchange Availability, to attendees of the show visiting their booth. Additionally, interested parties may order a copy of the book at no cost through the end of the year.

In the midst of an energy crisis, companies are paying more than ever for power in the data center. IT organizations are being hit from both sides with spikes in price and demand. IT organizations are spending more than ever on electricity, and both the price and the demand for power are on the rise. Traditionally, power consumption was just a cost of doing business, the realm of facilities management. But it’s about to become IT’s problem.

Federal regulators approved SBC Communications’ takeover of AT&T and Verizon Communications’ purchase of MCI Monday in a move consumer activists called anti-competitive. The agency required that SBC and Verizon freeze the wholesale prices they charge competitors to lease high-capacity business lines and said they had to guarantee that they will sell their Internet access as a stand-alone service, so customers aren’t forced to buy local phone service as well. The acquisition by SBC Communications of AT&T is valued at $16 billion; the deal with Verizon Communications and MCI is said to be worth about $8.5 billion.

US bank Web sites will be adding additional security measures by the end of 2006 to meet new demands from federal regulators for "two-factor" authentication. That essentially means checking something more than just user name and password to verify a customer’s identity. "Phishers" and other Internet fraud artists have become adept at stealing passwords, mainly through "social engineering." Preying on people’s propensity to believe something seemingly authoritative, criminals send authentic-looking emails that send unsuspecting people to an authentic-looking Web site where they give away their data.

The International Association of IT Asset Managers announced that the Annual Conference and Exhibition to be held November 9-11 in Orlando, Florida, will feature industry leaders as keynote speakers for each day of the conference. CIO William K. Barnett will be the keynote speaker for the first day of the conference, sharing his experiences inspiring change and acceptance of new technology into a tradition-based organization. Greg Butterfield, CEO of Altiris, will clarify for attendees what CEOs want and need from their IT asset management programs. As keynote speaker for day two of the conference. The day three keynote address features one of the founders of the IT asset management business practice, Larry Shoup. With his years of relevant experience, Larry’s prognostications regarding industry trends and how they will impact IT asset management will give attendees the leading edge for 2006.

InformationWeek reports that Microsoft plans to offer hosted implementations of SharePoint, CRM and ERP applications. A "Microsoft insider" was asked which other products and services Microsoft would host and the reply was: "Everything. Hosted Office. Everything hosted."