Microsoft Update

Microsoft Update is a new service that offers you the latest updates for Office, Windows, and other Microsoft applications, all in one place. Use Microsoft Update to help keep your computer more secure, up-to-date, and performing at its best.

James

This weekend we had a visitor, who fit quite well.

Release: Gizmo Project 1.0

For a long time I have been using Skype as a VOIP phone and messenger. But recently I discovered Gizmo Project.

Gizmo Project uses your internet connection (broadband or dial-up) to make calls to other computers. With the click of a mouse, you’re connected to friends, family, and colleagues anywhere on earth. It’s just that simple. You talk clearly. For as long as you want. For free.

And with inexpensive add-ons like Call In and Call Out, you can talk to any telephone–mobile or landline–on the planet. Any phone? Yes.

Gizmo Project is an open standards based implementation. You can call too and from other sip networks. You can call hardware / software clients around the world. You can manage an addressbook, talk to other users via Instant Message. All using open standards so you can use other clients and communicate with other services seemlessly. All at no cost!

Download Gizmo Project and give it a try.

Due to the recent acquisition of Skype by online auctioneer eBay, Skype will probably become a more commercial good. Read more about their plans with Skype.

By the way, my SIP number is 17476104604.

Review: Windows Server 2003 R2

Today I took a quick look at Windows Server 2003 R2 release candidate 0. Weird number by the way. This update to Windows Server 2003 service pack 1 adds some improvements and new features to the platform. Some of the features were already available feature packs.

The Identity and Access Management features are nice for developers. The fundamental purpose of Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) is to take advantage of user single sign-on (SSO) technologies to authenticate a user to multiple, related Web applications over the life of a single online session. ADFS accomplishes this by securely sharing digital identity and entitlement rights, or “claims,� across security and enterprise boundaries. The following are some of the key features of ADFS.
Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) is an independent mode of Active Directory, without infrastructure features, that provides directory services for applications. It provides a data store and services for accessing the data store. It uses standard application programming interfaces (APIs) for accessing the application data. ADAM operates either as a stand-alone data store, or with replication. Its independence enables local control and autonomy of directory services for specific applications. It also facilitates independent, flexible schemas and naming contexts.

The so called Simplified Branch Office Server Management add better support for branch office locations. Some features involve better distributed file system, central management of logging and printers. No rocket science, but something that just had to be done to complete the product.

The really nice stuff comes with the Storage Management features. With File Server Resource Management administrators can place quotas on folders and volumes, actively screen files, and generate comprehensive storage reports.
Other storage management features are Storage Management for SANs and Microsoft Services for NFS.

Other features include UNIX interoperability. The UNIX services are now for free.

My conclusion is yet another improved version of Windows Server 2003. If you are going to implement the Windows Server 2003 platform, use this latest version for a stable OS with some usefull features.
During the evaluation I mentioned that the OS is pretty fast. My feeling says that Microsoft did some improvements on speed aswell.