This email newsletter comes to you free and is supported by the following advertiser, which offers products and services in which you might be interested. Please take a moment to visit this advertiser's Web site and show your support for WinInfo Daily UPDATE.
HP ProLiant ML330 Server
Sponsor: HP ProLiant ML330 Server
===============
In the News
- Burst.com Alleges Microsoft Purposefully Destroyed Incriminating Email - Microsoft Releases Windows Update Services to Beta
==== In the News ====
by Paul Thurrott, [email protected]
Burst.com Alleges Microsoft Purposefully Destroyed Incriminating Email
A pending Burst.com patent-theft case has Microsoft in more legal hot water this week. Adding to its previous charges, Burst.com now alleges that Microsoft systematically destroyed incriminating email messages from its servers, despite the many international, federal, state, and class-action lawsuits it faces, many of which could rely on information in those messages. The revelation came this week when a Burst.com court filing was unsealed. If you don't recall the details of the Burst.com case, you're not alone. Mired in relative obscurity compared with Microsoft's higher-profile court cases, the Burst.com complaint hasn't received a lot of press. In 2002, Burst.com alleged that Microsoft stole Burst.com's Internet-based digital media playback technology for use in Windows and Windows Media Player (WMP). According to Burst.com, Microsoft then tried to file for a patent for the technology and changed Windows so that Burst.com's original technology would no longer work. Sound familiar? Microsoft has faced similar charges regularly since the days of "It's not done until Lotus won't run," from the early 1990s. However, in these more technical times, when millions of email messages are regularly saved and archived electronically at companies such as Microsoft, discovering and documenting trails of evidence is much easier--unless, of course, one of the parties decides to destroy all traces of those email messages, as Burst.com now alleges. Burst.com first complained about the email allegations earlier this year. In an earlier court filing, the company said that key Microsoft email evidence was missing, but Microsoft later provided more documentation and the case fell from the public eye as the companies waited for their court date. However, Burst.com had more explosive charges to come. In the filing that was unsealed this week, Burst.com alleges that Microsoft has a secret policy to delete most email messages, including those that could be incriminating with regard to the Burst.com case. Burst.com also says that Microsoft lied to federal prosecutors in 2002 when it concealed the email-destruction policy. Specific examples of this abuse exist, Burst.com alleges. One email message from Microsoft Executive Vice President Jim Allchin, the man ultimately responsible for all Windows products, reads, "I mean this--purge \[email\] every 30 days." Allchin sent that message, Burst.com says, just weeks after Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson found Microsoft to be an illegal monopoly and ordered the company to be broken up (an order that was later struck down). "This is not something you get to decide," Allchin continued. "This is company policy. Do not archive your mail. Do not be foolish. 30 days." Microsoft, however, denies the claims. Specifically addressing the Allchin email, Microsoft officials note that the executive later amended his instructions so that employees covered by court order wouldn't destroy their email. The Burst.com case is inflammatory, and more is going on here than just the email-retention accusation. For example, unsealed documents exist that prove Microsoft considered buying Burst.com at a "fire-sale" price as an "insurance policy" in case the company ever decided to sue it for violating Burst.com's patents. Ultimately, Microsoft didn't make an offer for Burst.com, but Burst.com did, of course, sue Microsoft for patent theft. Stay tuned.
Microsoft Releases Windows Update Services to Beta
by Mark Joseph Edwards, News Editor, mark at ntsecurity / net
On November 16, Microsoft released Windows Update Services (WUS) to public beta testing. WUS is the next version of Software Update Services (SUS). The final release date is still unknown, but you can begin testing WUS now in your lab environments. The download is about 75MB, and WUS requires that you use the Background Intelligent Transfer Service 2.0 beta on your Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server systems. Links to the BITS download are available at the WUS trial Web site.
Currently, the WUS beta supports all editions of Windows 2003, Win2K Server, Win2K Professional Edition with Service Pack 3 (SP3) and later, and Windows XP Professional Edition. Supported applications include Microsoft Office 2003 and Office XP with SP2 and later, Microsoft Exchange Server 2003, Microsoft SQL Server 2000, and SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE) 2000. WUS will install security updates, nonsecurity updates and rollup packages, service packs, feature packs, and critical driver updates. You'll find more details about WUS in Microsoft's WUS datasheet and rollout help in the deployment guide. You can also learn more about WUS in the Windows IT Pro article, "What You Need to Know About Windows Update Services" (see the URLs below).
Windows Update Services--Beta Version (datasheet)
http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/c/b/dcb4332c-f9b8-4e65-9ce8-d93b3e5323e6/WinUS_Datasheet.doc
Microsoft Windows Update Services Deployment Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/wus/deployment.mspx
What You Need to Know About Windows Update Services
http://www.windowsitpro.com/article/articleid/41969/41969.html
==== Announcement ====
(from Windows IT Pro and its partners)
Get a Free Digital Issue of SQL Server Magazine Now is the time to try the #1 SQL Server resource--SQL Server Magazine. Whether you're looking for novice or advanced-level SQL Server information, our experts produce helpful answers relevant to every SQL Server user. Stay on top of such topics as Reporting Services, SQL Server 2005, security, and much more! Click here to get your free issue:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/sqlserver/digital/index.cfm?code=fupdate1115
==== Events Central ====
(A complete Web and live events directory brought to you by Windows IT Pro: http://www.windowsitpro.com/events )
Free Web Seminar: Best Practices for Systems Management, Part 2--Managing Applications
Join us for part two of our Best Practices Web seminar series and discover the most effective practices to monitor and manage your infrastructure applications, such as Active Directory and Exchange. You'll learn practical techniques you need to improve service levels and maximize IT staff efficiency through real-world examples and more. Register now! http://www.windowsitpro.com/seminars/managingapplications/index.cfm?code=1115emailannc
==== Contact Us ====
About the newsletter -- [email protected]
About technical questions -- http://www.windowsitpro.com/forums
About product news -- [email protected]
About your subscription -- [email protected]
About sponsoring UPDATE -- [email protected]
=============== ==== In the News ====
Burst.com Alleges Microsoft Purposefully Destroyed Incriminating Email
Microsoft Releases Windows Update Services to Beta
On November 16, Microsoft released Windows Update Services (WUS) to public beta testing. WUS is the next version of Software Update Services (SUS). The final release date is still unknown, but you can begin testing WUS now in your lab environments. The download is about 75MB, and WUS requires that you use the Background Intelligent Transfer Service 2.0 beta on your Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server systems. Links to the BITS download are available at the WUS trial Web site.
Windows Update Services--Beta Version (datasheet)
Microsoft Windows Update Services Deployment Guide
What You Need to Know About Windows Update Services
==== Announcement ====
Get a Free Digital Issue of SQL Server Magazine Now is the time to try the #1 SQL Server resource--SQL Server Magazine. Whether you're looking for novice or advanced-level SQL Server information, our experts produce helpful answers relevant to every SQL Server user. Stay on top of such topics as Reporting Services, SQL Server 2005, security, and much more! Click here to get your free issue:
==== Events Central ====
Free Web Seminar: Best Practices for Systems Management, Part 2--Managing Applications
==== Contact Us ====
About the newsletter -- [email protected]
About technical questions -- http://www.windowsitpro.com/forums
About product news -- [email protected]
About your subscription -- [email protected]
About sponsoring UPDATE -- [email protected]
Manage Your Account
View the Windows IT Pro privacy policy at
Windows IT Pro is a division of Penton Media Inc.
221 East 29th Street, Loveland, CO 80538
Attention: Customer Service Department
Copyright 2004, Penton Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.
