Ed Scannell

Version 2.6 of the Linux kernel crept a little closer to reality as the Open Source Development Lab Inc. (OSDL) on Monday made available a test version of the technology aimed primarily at enterprise developers.

Trying to cut deeper into the market share of Microsoft Corp.'s Exchange Server e-mail system, SuSE Inc.'s Linux on Wednesday is rolling out a version of Openexchange that features improved server support for Windows Outlook users.

Hoping to bring utility computing closer to fruition, 25 companies on Tuesday unveiled a new XML-based standards initiative, called the Data Center Markup Language (DCML).

In a rare public display of camaraderie Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates and IBM Corp. software chief Steve Mills further cemented the commitment of their respective companies to work together to accelerate the creation and adoption of key Web services standards.

Building on their previous efforts to create a framework for producing secure and interoperable Web services, IBM Corp., Microsoft Corp., and several other leading software companies on Tuesday will announce a specification intended to help corporate users simplify identity management.

Trying to take its On Demand computing initiative to a new frontier, IBM Corp. on Tuesday is announcing the opening of a facility for delivering supercomputing-class processing power to developers over the Internet, which is intended to eliminate the exorbitant costs of owning such a system.

IBM Corp. on Wednesday will introduce a spruced-up version of its WebSphere Commerce Server that for the first time allows users to operate both B2C and B2B Web sites from the same software platform.

IBM Corp. and a collection of business partners are set to turn up the volume on WebSphere's integration capabilities, announcing more than 300 adapters designed to tighten its links to leading enterprise application environments.