Apple announced that Mac OS X version 10.3, code-named Panther, will be available on Friday, October 24, beginning at 8:00 p.m. The new version includes enhanced Windows compatibility that ensures files, printers and network services can easily be shared with Windows users. Support for Microsoft Exchange is built into Mail and Address Book to make it easy to access Exchange email and sync address book entries.

iLumin Software Services announced that## it has worked closely with Network Appliance## to tune iLumin’s Assentor Enterprise with Network Appliance SnapLock solutions. Assentor Enterprise is a firm-wide solution that provides archiving, compliance, supervision, discovery, litigation support, and mailbox management for email and instant messages. It’s compatible with IBM Lotus Notes, Exchange and other email services.

IBM is announcing a special bundle of hardware and software that aims to create a more self-managing platform for Web infrastructure than it has offered to date. Computer Business Review reports that Intelligent Web Orchestrator has the revamped ThinkControl systems management and provisioning application at its heart. The blade bundle includes a BladeCenter Intel-based blade server equipped with a Windows 2000 operating system plus IBM’s WebSphere middleware.The article adds that it would not be surprising to see a similar bundle for groupware and collaboration workloads based on IBM’s Lotus Domino and Microsoft’s Exchange Server programs, either.

Unicru announced its first workforce recruiting, selection and hiring solution, the Unicru Total Workforce Acquisition solution. The Unicru Total Workforce Acquisition solution is available as an integrated solution or as separate Salaried and Hourly solutions. The foundation of Unicru’s Salaried Solution leverages advanced Microsoft .NET Web services. Its underlying talent management functionality offers assisted communication and collaboration between hiring managers, recruiters and candidates, including Microsoft Outlook integration.

Forgent Networks announced it acquired certain assets of Network Simplicity Software Inc., a privately held provider of Web-based scheduling solutions for the small-medium business market segment. Forgent has acquired Network Simplicity’s flagship product, Meeting Room Manager (MRM). Forgent will continue to market its flagship meeting automation software, ALLIANCE, to customers needing solutions that extend their existing enterprise messaging and calendaring platforms (Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino).

The Star Online has this Smackdown story asking which is better — IBM Websphere or Microsoft .NET.

KVS and Network Engines have aligned to produce a set of email archiving appliances optimized for the small-to-medium enterprise market. Under this agreement, KVS and Network Engines will provide KVS Compliance Appliance for Financial Services, KVS Compliance Appliance for Sarbanes Oxley, and KVS Mailbox Archive Appliance for Microsoft Exchange.

Critical Path announced that it is now shipping the fourth generation of its meta-directory software. Critical Path Meta-Directory 4.0 now has built-in support for SOAP/XML and related standards for integrating with Web Services, providing them with up-to-date, accurate identity data. Critical Path Meta-Directory 4.0 is now available from Critical Path on Windows, Solaris, and HP-UX. The software provides has built-in connectors for major business systems — including directories from the industry’s major vendors; relational databases from Oracle, Microsoft, and IBM; and enterprise applications such as SAP HR, Lotus Notes, and Microsoft Exchange.

IT-Director.com asks which will be the go to destination of information workers — Microsoft or IBM products. The article says that IBM Lotus has the advantage because it started as a collaborative environment and an email system, it is better placed to bridge the gap between personal productivity and team-based environments.

Looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger has won the California recall vote, according to CNN’s exit polls. Now, we know this is not, in any way, related to technology news. But, you gotta admit, it’s definitely amusing. Whether you like The Terminator or not, you can’t help but be amused. We certainly are. Stay tuned.