Sun launches Opteron-based servers ... Firefox 2.0 set for beta release

Today's IT News Audio Update
European Commission to raise Microsoft fine .... Firefox 2.0 set for beta release ... Sun launches Opteron-based servers

HIGHLIGHTS
News: Sun's new Opteron servers aimed at data center
News: Microsoft to take Dynamics CRM Live in Q2 2007
News: Alcatel sees Q2 revenue and Lucent merger on target
News: Firefox 2.0 beta coming this week
Opinion: Your hardware supplier is really your competitor
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Goddesses dispel geek stereotypes


NEWS UPDATES

Sun's new Opteron servers aimed at data center
Sun Microsystems Inc. launched three Opteron-based servers Tuesday, positioning them as midrange servers to be used for network computing in data centers.

Microsoft to take Dynamics CRM Live in Q2 2007
Microsoft Corp.'s Dynamics CRM (customer relationship management) product will become its third Live hosted service, following in the footsteps of its Windows Live and Office Live software-as-a-service offerings, the company announced Tuesday.

Alcatel sees Q2 revenue and Lucent merger on target
Alcatel SA expects to see a 7.5 percent year-on-year increase in revenue for the second quarter, in line with earlier projections, the company announced late Monday. Its merger with U.S. counterpart Lucent Technologies Inc. is also on track, with completion expected by year-end, it said.

E.U. may increase Microsoft daily fine
The European Commission has decided to increase the daily penalty against Microsoft Corp. for failing to honor the antitrust ruling against it, to €3 million a day from €2 million a day, a person close to the Commission said Tuesday.

Microsoft launches latest small biz bundle
Microsoft Corp. plans to officially launch its Windows Small Business Server 2003 release 2 (SBS 2003 R2) integrated software bundle Tuesday.

Firefox 2.0 beta coming this week
The first beta version of the Firefox 2.0 browser could be released as soon as Tuesday, according to a note posted to Mozilla Corp.'s Web site.

IBM launches low cost server for small business ERP
In a move to reassure small-business customers that it plans to support Oracle Corp.'s software products for years to come, IBM Corp. announced a server package on Tuesday.


OPINION

Your hardware supplier is really your competitor
By Joel Shore

Storage giant EMC's announcement that it plans to acquire security technology provider RSA will more closely meld storage and security into a single continuum rather than separate technologies that don't co-exist seamlessly. That's not only good, but necessary as stories about the theft of unencrypted, in-the-clear data files make the evening news seemingly weekly.