Microsoft News Tracker

Ina Fried at CNET has the story:

Microsoft plans to mark the business launch of Windows Vista and Office 2007 with an event in New York on Nov. 30.

Microsoft also plans to launch Exchange 2007 at the “New Day for Business” event, to be held at the Nasdaq stock exchange and starring CEO Steve Ballmer. “This event will mark the business availability of three major releases from Microsoft,” the software maker said in an invitation e-mailed to a set of journalists on Wednesday.

They sure couldn’t cut the promise of Vista in November much closer. As for my informal poll asking “Will Windows Vista Launch in November,” the results currently are:

• Yes: 75 votes (60%)
• No:  36 votes (29%)
• What’s Windows Vista?: 15 votes (12%)

Looks like the Delphi method comes through, although to be completely precise, it’s not over until Steve Ballmer arrives at the NASDAQ podium and says the magic words.

Back in September, I compared Microsoft’s Avalon (WPF) and Indigo (WCF) demo application Microsoft Max to one of those glitzy concept cars that automakers are always wheeling out, but which never appear in the product line. Apparently the comparison was more apt than I realized since Max has just wheeled off into the sunset. Dare Obasanjo points to a post at the Max team blog titled “Thank you: the Max project has concluded” which breaks the news:

Thanks to your participation, we were able to accomplish the goals of the Max project—to get customer feedback on new ways to approach software and services. If you’re interested in seeing where we go with these ideas, keep your eye on Windows Live.

Starting today, we will be disabling all downloads from our website. In the next week, we will be shutting down the Max services and our team forums. At that time, you will no longer be able to sign in to Max or share lists of photos with your friends. You will still be able to read news and browse the lists you’ve already shared and received.

I expect there will be some grumbling.

Stuart J. Johnson at ENT News reports that SQL Server Everywhere (which got that name in April) is slipping so it can be renamed to the misleading SQLce:

Microsoft this week quietly announced it is dropping the highly touted renaming of SQL Server Mobile Edition to SQL Server Everywhere Edition. Due to the complications of changing the name so late in the product’s release cycle, the company will delay the release of the latest version for an indefinite period of “several weeks.”

Instead, the pending product will now be dubbed SQL Server Compact Edition or SQLce.

SQL Server Everywhere Edition was until recently scheduled to begin shipping to customers in November. The delays are mostly attributable to needing to change the product’s localization and documentation, according to statements on a company blog. However, Microsoft still hopes to get the final product out by the end of the year.

…

The announcement, which was made on the blog of Steve Lasker, a Microsoft program manager, said the name change was made at customers’ request. However, the new name SQLce promises to cause perhaps even more confusion than Everywhere Edition – especially since the company will now have to try to distance SQLce from the idea that it is limited to running on only Windows CE devices.

Hit the link for more on the naming history and marketing considerations and Lasker’s blog post is here. I have always suspected that very few things bring more joy to a marketer’s heart than renaming a product, but causing a schedule slip thereby is truly a classic.

Barbara Darrow at CRN:

Paul Flessner, the Microsoft senior vice president in charge of SQL Server and storage, is stepping back from his day-to-day duties, CRN has learned.

Flessner, vice president of the Data Storage and Platform Division, will hand over daily responsibilities to Ted Kummert, a corporate vice president, on Jan. 1, a company spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday afternoon. Flessner has been with the company for 12 years

Insiders were informed of the move in a memo from Bob Muglia, senior vice president of Microsoft’s Server and Tools Business, earlier Tuesday.

…

Flessner is stepping back to do projects and spend time with family, the spokeswoman said.

Kummert’s bio is here. You may recall that SQL Server was a bright spot in last quarter’s hohum Microsoft earnings report.