Microsoft News Tracker

There seems to be a shortage of real Microsoft news today, but there’s no shortage of rumors:

The Microsoft acquisition of Yahoo rumor is back again. Or is it Yahoo buying AOL? Or merging with eBay or buying Facebook or…? The variants are seemingly as endless as Yahoo’s perceived problems.

For a brief while Windows Vista RTM was imminent today, but the definitive rumor remains Paul Thurrott’s prediction of a just in time delivery on November 8. For humor there’s also the cyclical theory of Microsoft operating system quality which indicates that Vista may be doomed from the start (via Enterprise OpenSource Magazine).

Windows Live and MSN Reorg:

News is filtering out that Steve Sinofsky, Senior Vice President, Windows and Windows Live Engineering, is orchestrating another reorg at MSN and Windows Live.

Zune European Launch May Be Delayed Until 2008 (via Zune News Site):

One reason for the delay is that Microsoft doesn’t yet have a European product czar for the Zune to coordinate a launch. And the recently appointed figurehead for Zune International is just now working to build up relationships in region. Even more telling is that fact that Microsoft’s doesn’t yet have an infrastructure in place in Europe to provide music online. “We haven’t yet selected a music store provider to build marketplace in the UK, which means we’re way off launch,” said Dene Schonknecht, media and entertainment alliance manager for Microsoft.

and via the same source since no list of rumors is complete without one involving Apple, Apple iPhone Speculation Reaches Fever Pitch. It’s supposedly coming in January.

It’s a bit later than promised, but Microsoft today released Windows Media Player 11. Press release:

Microsoft Corp. today released to the public Microsoft^® Windows Media^® Player 11 for Windows^® XP, a significant milestone for music fans and the digital entertainment experience on Windows. This latest version of Windows Media Player offers consumers a test-drive of the breakthrough capabilities in Windows Media Player 11 for Windows Vista™, including enhanced search and media management technologies, a visually driven user interface, and optimized support for portable music players.

…

Windows Media Player 11 features seamless integration with URGE, MTV Networks Co.’s digital music service. URGE builds upon MTV Networks’ renowned music heritage, offering rich, hand-crafted programming, first-rate editorial content, and innovative music discovery features to create a truly immersive entertainment experience. The incredibly fast search capabilities of Windows Media Player 11 provide consumers with instant access to the entire URGE catalog of more than 110,000 artists and 2 million songs.

There are more details on new features by following the link and if you can pass the Windows Genuine Advantage test, you can download WMP 11 here. However, as I have mentioned previously, the biggest question is where Windows Media Player stands now that the incompatible Zune music client and DRM are due in a few weeks.

Microsoft has yet to make much of a dent in Intuit’s QuickBooks with its Office Small Business Accounting 2006 and while we knew that the next version was being renamed to Office Accounting 2007, it turns out that Microsoft had more cards up their sleeve as they revealed today:

Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of Microsoft^® Office Accounting Express 2007, financial management software designed for early startups and home-based businesses that currently use pen and calculator or spreadsheets to run their operations. Office Accounting Express 2007 consists of desktop software available as a free download and seven integrated online services.

…

The Office Accounting Express 2007 software will be available for free while third-party integrated premium online services are available for additional fees. Together, the software and services will enable businesses to harness the power of the Internet to sell products online, send invoices and receive payments electronically, process payroll, run credit reports, work with their accountant, and more — all from within their accounting application.

Office Accounting Express 2007 software will be available on http://www.ideawins.com. IdeaWins is a campaign highlighting how Office Accounting Express 2007 can help small businesses take the hassle out of financial and business management so they can spend more time making their ideas a reality.

For the small business that needs more than the free version offers:

Microsoft also announced that it will introduce Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007, the successor to Microsoft Office Small Business Accounting 2006. This is a comprehensive business management solution for small businesses with more complex needs such as inventory management, multicurrency invoicing, multiuser access and fixed asset management. In early 2007, Office Accounting Professional will be available in retail stores for an estimated retail price of $149. Until then, a trial version will be available.

Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2007 will provide additional features, such as business dashboard, cash flow management tool, purchase and sales orders, job costing, a wider variety of financial reports, and the ability to connect to Microsoft Dynamics™ Point-of-Sale.

In addition, Office Accounting Professional 2007 will enhance business efficiency by allowing multiple people within an organization to access and work with relevant financial information based on each person’s role in the accounting process.

There’s also a press Q&A, but head on over to the IdeaWins website for a FAQ which includes this comparison of features between the two versions. Both feature substantial Office integration, but I have to observe that the Office Live integration is mostly to permit sharing of data with an accountant, but there are other online services from 3rd parties. The current users of Office Small Business Accounting 2006 can buy a version upgrade to the Office Accounting Pro version for an estimated $99. Of course, either version is considerably cheaper than Intuit’s QuickBooks, but the question is whether that will finally get Microsoft some traction in this market.

Update: Mario Morejon at CRN provides a glowing review of this pair. One interesting aspect:

Microsoft combined both products into a single install, so users only need to add a key to activate the Professional trial version. … Express users will be able to activate the full Professional version as well from their install without having to download new software.

If you thought Microsoft’s marketers had run out of projects on which to slap the “Windows Live” brand, you were wrong as LiveSide reports:

No this isn’t an April Fool’s joke. Windows Live Barcode enables users to store their own data in QR codes, which are already present on Spaces for markets like Japan.

From the homepage:

What is Windows Live Barcode
Windows Live Barcode is a set of services that transfer information between various media (PCs, billboards, magazines etc.) and handsets via Quick Response Code (QR Code), a two-dimensional barcode. It provides a new method for people to exchange information and enjoy various online services on handsets. Windows Live Barcode aims to enhance handset utility and provide you with more convenience and flexibility.

Reading through the Web site and taking the tour, it seems mostly to be yet another way for the geeky set to exchange business card information although Microsoft apparently has higher aspirations. All of this is fine, but Ray Ozzie’s vision of ad-supported online services seems to be stretched very thin in this “Windows Live” offering which on a good day is at best a nerdy geegaw. I especially like the part where you can put the barcode on a Web site. So much for Live Clipboard, eh Ray?