Joris Evers

Microsoft Corp. is sacrificing some features it planned for Longhorn as it works to deliver its first beta of the next Windows client next year, a company spokesperson said.

A first beta release of the next version of Windows likely will be delayed until next year because Microsoft Corp. is concentrating first on a security-focused update to Windows XP, the Redmond, Wash.-based company said Thursday.

Sun Microsystems Inc. said Friday that it has entered into a "broad cooperation agreement" with Microsoft Corp. and settled all outstanding litigation. Microsoft will pay Sun US$700 million to resolve all pending antitrust issues and US$900 million to resolve all patent issues, the Santa Clara, Calif., company said.

Worldwide IT spending will grow five per cent this year driven by an improving global economy and the need for users to resolve infrastructure problems, market researcher IDC said Wednesday.

Microsoft Corp. chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates on Monday pointed to 2006 as the release year for the next version of Windows, code-named Longhorn.

The European Commission's order for Microsoft Corp. to ship a version of Windows without the Windows Media Player could stifle innovation and help Microsoft's rivals instead of promoting fair competition, the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust chief said Wednesday.

Microsoft Corp. chairman and chief software architect Bill Gates pitched his company's "seamless computing" vision to an audience of software developers on Wednesday.

Oracle Corp. plans to deliver a major update to its Collaboration Suite before the end of this year, adding instant messaging capabilities, improving integration with enterprise applications and enhancing other features, company executives said Tuesday.