Open-Source Excitement

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In This Issue:
1. Editor's Note: Open-Source Excitement
2. Today's Top Story
    - Software Browses Web Sans Connection
    Related Stories:
    - Going Mobile: A Buyer's Guide To Your Perfect Notebook
    - The Traveler's Toolkit: 13 Essential Items For The Road
    - RIM Faces Market Shift, But Won't Change E-Mail Focus
3. Breaking News
    - Microsoft Fixes 14 Flaws
    - IT Gets Creative At DreamWorks
    - Brief: Apple Upgrades Desktop Management Product
    - Software Warns Parents Of Online Sexual Predators
    - Red Hat's JBoss Acquisition Could Create A New Open-Source Powerhouse
    - Europeans Dismiss GoDaddy's .EU Complaints
    - Business Objects Offers On-Demand Reports
    - Disney-ABC To Distribute Four TV Shows Online
    - Data: Location, Location, Location
    - Tech U: Tomorrow's IT Challenges Today
    - Comparative Review: The Myth And Magic Of CPU Performance
    - Brief: Microsoft Tool Defends Against URL Hijacking
4. Grab Bag: News You Need From Around The Web
    - New Technology Aims To Help Seniors Keep Independence (Baltimore Sun)
    - Windows 98, ME Support To End In July (BetaNews)
    - Killer PDAs Are Coming Your Way (BusinessWeek)
5. In Depth: Service-Oriented Architectures
    - HP Targets SOA Market
    - Companies Get The Scoop On SOA
    - SOA Goes Open Source
    - IBM Is Right That SOA Has The Buzz--And Risks, Too
    - IBM Rides Harley-Davidson, Pep Boys Auto Into SOA Zone
    - On-Demand, SOA To Reshape Enterprise Apps: Report
6. Voice Of Authority
    - In China And India, IT Workers Fiddle While Paris And Rome Burn
7. White Papers
    - Remote Support
8. Get More Out Of InformationWeek
9. Manage Your Newsletter Subscription

Quote of the day:
"The Linux philosophy is 'Laugh in the face of danger.' Oops. Wrong One. 'Do it yourself.' Yes, that's it." -- Linus Torvalds

1. Editor's Note: Open-Source Excitement

Things have certainly been hopping in the open-source world lately. Last week Microsoft announced that Windows will be able to host Linux applications by means of its virtual server software, then followed up with a new site devoted to explaining its Linux moves to its customers.

More recently, Red Hat, one of the top-two distributors of Linux to the corporate crowd, said it's going to buy JBoss, which makes open-source middleware. Some say Red Hat and JBoss, whose products also run on Windows and has had a sweet deal going with Microsoft, are going to hoist themselves on their own petard, and as a result Novell and its Suse Linux will win the day. That could well happen, but a lot depends on how Red Hat and JBoss handle that business and how Microsoft responds in turn. We'll see.

Other observers are saying the Red Hat-JBoss linkup will squeeze IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, and others trying to do the open-source dance with corporate America. Thing is, Red Hat has been selling and certifying open-source development tools for around five months now, and the market hasn't changed dramatically in that time. I doubt it will do so because of this acquisition.

Some are getting all hysterical over Red Hat's entry into the middleware market, like it's going to change the IT landscape as we know it. But I don't think so. While it's certainly true that Red Hat and JBoss have a much more prestigious open-source pedigree than do most of the traditional IT vendors--including, or perhaps especially, IBM and Microsoft--that's so not the point.

Like it or not, the Linux faithful are, by and large, not the same people who make corporate IT buying decisions. They may have some say if the boss asks what software to buy, but can you imagine a CIO saying to herself, "Oh, I think I'll ditch my .Net development environment (or WebSphere or enter corporate app-dev tool of your choice here...) because Red Hat and JBoss are now the same company"? Nah, me neither.

Instead, the linkup will allow Red Hat to go deeper within those organizations that have already committed to open source as their philosophy. It will give one more viable choice to developers who want a true open-source means of creating applications. But it's not going to change those who are afraid of, or opposed to, doing business the open-source way because of competitive or other pressures.

What do you think? Respond on the InformationWeek blog. Just look for today's Daily Podcast and add your comments there.

Johanna Ambrosio
[email protected]
www.informationweek.com

2. Today's Top Story

Software Browses Web Sans Connection
A Seattle startup Monday launched software that lets users search and view Web sites stored on smart phones or laptops without connecting to the Internet.

3. Breaking News

Microsoft Fixes 14 Flaws
Three of the bulletins were tagged as "critical," one as "important," and the fifth as "moderate"--the last being Microsoft's second-from-the-bottom alert.

IT Gets Creative At DreamWorks
Virtual collaboration, Linux, and utility computing stretch the limits of technology.

Brief: Apple Upgrades Desktop Management Product
Remote Desktop 3 includes more than 50 new features that improve on software distribution, asset management, and remote help.

Software Warns Parents Of Online Sexual Predators
SearchHelp Inc. has launched features to warn parents when their children enter a chat room or receive an IM that might come from a potential sexual predator.

Red Hat's JBoss Acquisition Could Create A New Open-Source Powerhouse
But JBoss hasn't favored Linux over Windows, and Red Hat faces a cultural challenge in merging the startup into its corporate structure.

Europeans Dismiss GoDaddy's .EU Complaints
GoDaddy's CEO says the registration process for the new .eu top-level domain name was badly mismanaged. The Europeans flatly dismiss the charge. Meanwhile, the dustup hasn't slowed the "land rush" for .eu domains.

Business Objects Offers On-Demand Reports
The debut of Crystalreports.com marks the business intelligence software vendor's first real move into software as a service.

Disney-ABC To Distribute Four TV Shows Online
Upcoming availability of such shows as Desperate Housewives and Lost are one indication that in the post-Napster era, the entertainment industry has lost its fear of the Net.

Data: Location, Location, Location
The three principles of real estate are becoming true for data. Geospatial tools combined with databases and BI software bring about "location intelligence" for better branch positioning, improved service delivery, and more.

Tech U: Tomorrow's IT Challenges Today
Universities are proving grounds for advanced network technologies that serve a global tech-savvy community. We examine infrastructure, wireless, and security projects at several campuses to see what business can learn from higher education.

Comparative Review: The Myth And Magic Of CPU Performance
When a 1.83 GHz Core Duo T2400 can outperform a Pentium 4 640 overclocked to 3.56 GHz, the world has turned upside down.

Brief: Microsoft Tool Defends Against URL Hijacking
The Tracer download, available this week, includes a tool that scans for sites that take advantage of misspellings in an Internet address, a process known as "typosquatting" or "URL hijacking."

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4. Grab Bag: News You Need From Around The Web

New Technology Aims To Help Seniors Keep Independence (Baltimore Sun)
Innovations at home and in centers can jog memories and track activities.

Windows 98, ME Support To End In July (BetaNews)
Microsoft has officially begun requesting that users running Windows 98, 98 SE, and Millennium Edition (ME) upgrade their operating system as soon as possible. The Redmond company will cease all public and technical support for the products on July 11, 2006, including all security updates.

Killer PDAs Are Coming Your Way (BusinessWeek)
The age of high-end handhelds that combine the best of voice calling with the functions of digital assistants is here--in high gear.

5. In Depth: Service Oriented Architectures

HP Targets SOA Market
The frameworks are aimed at the financial services, public sector, and manufacturing/distribution segments.

Companies Get The Scoop On SOA
Top managers will buy SOA pitches if the projects eliminate redundancy and provide security, IT manager panelists said at the recent InformationWeek Spring Conference.

SOA Goes Open Source
One entrepreneur's software suite aims to help companies build their own service-oriented architectures.

IBM Is Right That SOA Has The Buzz--And Risks, Too
Smart companies keep the focus on business goals as they embrace service-oriented architecture.

IBM Rides Harley-Davidson, Pep Boys Auto Into SOA Zone
Upgrades of WebSphere Business Monitor and Portal will offer Ajax to aid with SOA deployments.

On-Demand, SOA To Reshape Enterprise Apps: Report
The percentage of IT budgets allocated toward software on average is estimated to increase from 30% this year to 35% in 2008, driven in part by software-on-demand and Web services, according to Merrill Lynch.

6. Voice Of Authority

In China And India, IT Workers Fiddle While Paris And Rome Burn
Paul McDougall says U.S. politicians and lobbyists need to pay attention to the two latest examples of European countries pressing their own delete buttons.

7. White Papers

Remote Support
During this Webinar, we'll explore the advantages of implementing remote support. Learn how companies from a variety of industries use GoToAssist to achieve lower operating costs, higher service levels, and increased customer satisfaction.

8. Get More Out Of InformationWeek

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