66% of Windows Users Can't Use IE9

Microsoft has just released its latest browser Internet Explorer version 9 beta. But Microsoft's latest browser is not going to be used by the majority of Windows XP OS users.

Thus, IE9 will not be used by more than two-thirds of PC users. In August 2010, the number of Windows XP users still dominate the market that is 66.7 percent of Global PC. Meanwhile, Vista users ranged from 15.3 percent, while Windows 7 is still around 17.4 percent. While for the older OS like Windows 2000, Windows 98 and Millennium users have very little amount.

"It's just a problem in growth, at least for 12 to 18 months into the future more companies and consumers are migrating to Windows 7," said Al Hilwa IDC analyst as quoted PCAdvisor on Saturday (09/18/2010).

Meanwhile, Ray Valdes, Gartner analyst says this is the main weakness of the IE9 strategy, "And this is an opportunity for competitors to continue to erode the market share of IE," he said. Microsoft did not fully release the final version. So there was a chance for the software giant to consider the XP users.

IE9 beta version that been launched is claimed to have the ability to turn any website into an application in Windows taskbar. It is allowing its users to use one-click option to access their favorite sites. Speculation is circulating says that IE9 final version will be launched on April 2011.

Microsoft Kin Mobile Phone Ads Protested Of Promoting Pornography

Microsoft Phones, Kin One and Kin Two drawn protests because considered as teaching its users for exchanging pornographic images. As reported by the Telegraph, overall, the Kin One and Kin Two ads describes a group of teenagers using mobile phones Kin Kin One and Two to connect anywhere. Microsoft describes the mobile devices such as 'sociable' that can connect users with friends and social networks.

To illustrate that this phone enables users to share content such as photos, in the commercial seem a teenage boy taking a picture of his inside body using the camera on Microsoft Kin phone and then send it to his girlfriend.

Apparently this is what then provoke strong protests from the U.S. consumer organizations, Consumer Reports. The ad impressions were considered "uncomfortably close to encouraging sexting - that is, sending nude photos via cell phone."

As is known, adolescents is among the most vulnerable people with behavior like this. Based on research data from the University of Plymouth, one of four teenagers aged 13 to 18 years admitted often send photos or videos charged with sexuality to their friends.

"Sexting significantly evolved into a bigger problem than what we had imagined," said one researcher from the University of Plymouth, Dr Andy Phippen.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Microsoft said the company responded with this serious problem. "Microsoft considers this sexting issue very seriously. We did not mean to encourage teens to do that," he said. Microsoft spokesman also said, with a height of protests from the public, they will immediately delete those scenes that do not fit with the community manner.

Indonesia's Telkom Cooperates with Microsoft to Implement Cloud Computing Technology

Indonesia's Telkom cooperates with Microsoft to create a new solution in the world of IT, namely that Cloud Computing is currently a trend in the world. "Cloud Cumputing is a trend that is happening in some countries, and I believe Indonesia will start this trend now," explained Microsoft's Asia Pacific vice president Emilio Umeoka, on the sidelines of the signing of the MoU Telkom and Microsoft, at the Shangrilla Hotel, Jakarta, Wednesday (7/4/2010).

For Telkom, this solution itself is very profitable for this largest operator company in Indonesia. The reason, according to Director of IT & Supply PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, Indra Utoyo, cloud computing is the perfect solution for large companies such as Telkom to implement the switch Capex to become Opex.

"With cloud computig services, we'll get a global services without having to own it. Because we're only renting it, all are going to be managed by Microsoft. This is certainly positively contributed to Telkom," said Indra.

Through this cooperation, Telkom will reach a much wider customer by providing cloud computing-based IT services. Through this service as well, added Indra, businesses including Small Medium Enterprise can concentrate on their core business without the headaches of IT human resources that usually become an obstacle in the SME segment.

Some of the packages offered in the cooperation of Telkom with Microsoft are Communication & Collaboration Packages, which consists of Broadband, Exchange, and OCS, a form of SaaS which provide Microsoft unfied communication technology features without the need to install hardware.

While for virtualized server package, Telkom provides broadband plus virtual dedicated server, a form of IaaS (Infrastructure as Service). Virtual Private Servers (VPS) technology allows companies to share server costs with other customers. "Telkom Indonesia targetting 1000 SMEs will use Cloud Computing packages," said Indra.

Microsoft Banned From Selling MS Word In The US For Violating i4i Patent

Microsoft Corp., the world leading company in softwares, has been ordered by a US court decision to halt selling of their most used software MS Word in the US in 60 days. The ban decision, which is applicable for all of the versions 2003 and 2007, comes after it was determined that technology used in the software violates a patent held by i4i, a Canadian software maker.

This decision comes as the climax of a legal dispute that has been going on since May, when i4i was awarded $200 million damages from a federal jury. MS Word forms a part of the MS Office suite of productivity applications, which is one of Microsoft's best-selling products with millions of users worldwide. Word 2007 is the latest installment, with the next version of Office expected to be out only next year.

Microsoft is expected to appeal against the verdict. "We are disappointed by the court's ruling," said Microsoft spokesman Kevin Kutz. "We believe the evidence clearly demonstrated that we do not infringe and that the i4i patent is invalid."

i4i's dispute is centered on a way of processing electronic documents that removes the need for individual, manually embedded command codes to control text formatting in electronic documents. Both MS Word 2003 and MS Word 2007 use extensible markup language or XML. i4i says that Microsoft's method of customizing XML for its products infringes its patent.

However, things are not that bleak for the software giant. It is set to appeal and it's probable that the court verdict will be overruled. Barring that, Microsoft can try to come to an out of court settlement with i4i or just tweak its software to comply with the court's demand.