IT Today

Outlines:

*Microsoft Releases CRM 4.0, Code-Named 'Titan'
*OpenOffice Online Now Available For Beta Testing
*Google Builds iPhone Interface For Picasa Photo Service

Details:

1)Microsoft Releases CRM 4.0, Code-Named 'Titan'

The new software will be available for customers and hosting partners to download online. CRM 4.0's multitenant architecture gives the company and hosting partners the ability to host CRM in much higher volumes, setting the stage for a showdown with Salesforce.com.

By J. Nicholas Hoover
InformationWeek
December 17, 2007 06:15 PM

Earlier this year, Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) promised to deliver the new version of its CRM software, CRM 4.0, then code-named Titan, by the end of the year. Now, the company's owned up to its promise.

Last Friday, Microsoft released CRM 4.0 to manufacturing. This week, the new software will be available for customers and hosting partners to download online.

Microsoft points to CRM 4.0's multitenant architecture as one of the main new features for Microsoft CRM. That gives both Microsoft and its hosting partners the ability to host CRM in much higher volumes, setting the stage for a showdown with the likes of Salesforce.com.

Despite CRM 4.0's release, the Microsoft-delivered software-as-a-service version, known as CRM Live, won't be available for most customers until sometime in the second half of 2008. On one hand, it gives Microsoft's hosting partners a bit of wiggle room to get into customer sales cycles before Microsoft starts homing in on their market. However, it also gives competitors like Salesforce.com and others who have long had a SaaS model a few more months of lead time against the upstart Microsoft.

CRM 4.0 should have the effect of increasing Microsoft's potential customer base. CRM Live and the multitenanted partner-hosted versions of the software will give Microsoft a stronger potential for small business uptake. Microsoft CRM general manager Brad Wilson says that though CRM 4.0 was all about increasing scale, CRM 4.0 scales to the higher end better than previous versions as well.

Other new features include user-selectable multilanguage support, new business intelligence and user reporting capabilities, and a move from an old workflow engine that had been specific to Microsoft CRM to the company's Windows Workflow for easier federated workflow across Microsoft apps.

Recently, Microsoft has added integration with the company's unified communications platform, Office Communication Server, to CRM 4.0's feature list. That means users can launch video conferences, Web conferences, and calls from directly within the CRM app, and also can see who's online and available to be called.

2)OpenOffice Online Now Available For Beta Testing

The trial version of the software can be launched from within Ulteo's Online Desktop package, which is itself currently in beta testing.

By Paul McDougall
InformationWeek
December 17, 2007 02:41 PM

In the latest challenge to Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT)'s dominance of the productivity software market, a group of Linux developers has begun testing an online version of a free office applications suite.

Developers at online software provider Ulteo said in a message posted on their Web site site that a hosted version of OpenOffice.org 2.3 that they plan to offer is now available for public beta testing.

The trial version of the software can be launched from within Ulteo's Online Desktop package, which is itself currently in beta testing. The Ulteo Online Desktop aims to offer users a range of open source, Web-based applications and services. The project is led by Mandriva Linux creator Gael Duval.

Would-be beta testers apparently can't wait to get their hands on an online version of OpenOffice. As of Monday, Ulteo was warning users that its Web servers are overwhelmed and that they might have to return later to access the program.

OpenOffice software is based on the Open Document Format, which has been certified as a standard by the International Organization for Standardization. The package, available as a free download, offers word processing, spreadsheet, calendaring and other types of applications also found in Microsoft's pricey Office suite.

By offering an online version of OpenOffice, Ulteo hopes to enhance its collaborative capabilities. For instance, online users of the suite will be able to work together on a document simultaneously and perform other coordinated tasks, Ulteo says.

OpenOffice isn't the only challenge to Microsoft's reign over the office productivity software market. Google recently entered the fray with an array of hosted applications sold as a service under the Google Apps brand.

3)Google Builds iPhone Interface For Picasa Photo Service

Features include the ability to search for photos in albums or through community photos as well as add Google Gadgets.

By Antone Gonsalves
InformationWeek
December 13, 2007 06:44 PM

Google (NSDQ: GOOG) this week launched an iPhone interface for the company's Picasa photo service.

IPhone and iPod Touch users who go to the Picasa Web site via the Apple gadgets' Safari Web browser are automatically switched to the new interface. After logging in, they can see their photo albums, and drill down to get a full view of pictures, Google said. Picasa's slideshow feature has also been optimized for the devices.

New features include the ability to search for photos in albums or through community photos. People can also view friends' albums through favorites, Google said. The new service launches only in English, so people from other countries will have to change the language preference.

Google on Wednesday also released an upgrade of the Google toolbar for Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Among the new features is the ability to save settings online, so people can access their bookmarks, custom buttons and information saved in the automatic form-filler from any of their computers at home or work, Google said.

Other features include the ability to add Google Gadgets, which are the company's name for its Web widgets. Widgets are small applications that are used to access online services. In the case of the toolbar, an example of a Gadget would be one that can do a product search after a person highlights a name on a Web page.

Google has also built into the toolbar its Notebook application that lets users store text and images from sites. Previous features that have been retained in the upgrade include automatic form filling, pop-up blocking and spelling correction. The toolbar is available on Google's site.