What Else Happened at TechEd

Office Live Meeting 2007: The service update will be chock-full of new features, including support for Microsoft RoundTable and embedded Flash. What does it mean?

• Competitive new multimedia features shore up Office Live Meeting against "Breeze" (aka Adobe Acrobat Connect), which is a media-rich and interactive online meeting service. Office Live screen shots suggest that there have been gains, but Breeze was away ahead of Live Meeting with respect to responsiveness and richness. Microsoft can add Flash, but Flash is integral to Breeze. Also, Adobe has extended its online meeting software to incorporate Acrobat and to provide a means of collaboration.
• New features tap into the concept part of Microsoft's Unified Communications strategy. While there has long been speculation about Office integration, Microsoft would appear to be placing greater emphasis on the server. Office has its place, but this release is more about communications, such as two-way VOIP (voice over IP). Microsoft partners will provide real phones.
• Microsoft is scaling up Live Meeting for its enterprises. Microsoft acquired the core technology in its 2003 acquisition of PlaceWare, which—like its rivals—built a base among smaller businesses and satellite offices of larger companies. Many new features should appeal to larger businesses, too.

Forefront "Stirling": Microsoft put its former security partners—now competitors—on notice with news about a major upgrade. What does it mean?

• Stirling isn't due until 2009, or thereabouts, with a beta version coming this year (maybe). Microsoft's announcement now is as much about stalling competitive upgrades as it is about preparing customers and the channel for the product. It's commonplace for Microsoft to announce new products or versions way in advance in markets where there are entrenched competitors. Some customers may pause and wait to see what Microsoft delivers, particularly if a Stirling beta version might be available as soon as this year.
• While Microsoft has held back somewhat in the consumer security market, the announcement indicates a clear willingness to compete with its partners in the enterprise security market. Looks like new management and other features will leave little place for other security software to interact.
• Stirling will tap into some Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 capabilities. The product seeks to ease security management by consolidating policy and other features into a single console. Stirling will be very much about providing infrastructure security, rather than just local desktop- or server-based security. Stirling will tap into NAP (Network Access Protection), a security policy management feature of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

.Net Micro: Microsoft announced that Analog Devices and Crossbow Technology would be adopters. What does it mean?

• Two licensees are, well, just two. But even one would be a good start. .Net Micro isn't for every device. However, Microsoft is bringing .Net to some pretty low-powered embedded devices, which is no small feat.
• .Net Micro supports SPOT (Smart Personal Objects Technology) used in MSN Direct-supporting devices, such as watches and coffee makers. I wouldn't dare guess what new service or application could come to your coffee pot, but it's a change for some developers to have their, ah, .Net and java, too.

TechEd ends on Friday, June 8.

Related Posts:

• Windows Server at the Core, Microsoft Watch, June 5, 2007
• TechEd: Server Logos, Vista Tools, Microsoft Watch, June 5, 2007
• 'Longhorn' Server Comes When?, Microsoft Watch, June 5, 2007