Verecom Web Design Blog

Microsoft sent a nice gift for Facebook users, through the Docs for Facebook (http://docs.com), users will be able to edit uploaded Microsoft Office files.

Facebook and Microsoft signed this cooperation agreements to let Facebook users be able to create, edit and share Microsoft Office documents in order to fight Google’s online file-sharing services.

The website Docs.com, enables Facebook users to log in using Facebook Connect and create, edit Microsoft Office documents, and share with Facebook friends, update status, photos, and the new file will appear in a user’s news feed.

Although Microsoft has not specifically mentioned Google Docs, but this is actually biggest competitor for Microsoft’s Word application. Google’s online documents publisher and collaboration tools are always the nightmare of Microsoft.

Microsoft’s Future Social Experiences, FUSE laboratory project manager Pat Kinsel said, in the current market, there are many other services also allow users to create and edit documents, and many can support file sharing and discussion services. However, only Docs for Facebook can provide full life cycle support services.

The current Docs for Facebook beta testing phase, through the Microsoft Office 2010 Web technology, built on Facebook platform. The goal is to simplify Facebook’s sharing system, from the news and events delivery to the WORD, EXCEL spreadsheet, and PowerPoint presentations and so on.

FUSE Labs manager Lili Cheng stressed in a telephone interview that Docs is a system to help Facebook users to share files as the starting point of the design. She pointed out that the complexity of file sharing technology, but through Dosc, everything is be simplified.
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Through Docs.com, users can create, view, edit and share Office documents, without changing the old method. Even if the user needs to use some of the more sophisticated tools and functions, they can also edit file with Microsoft Office environment.

The goal of Docs for Facebook is obviously to make younger generation of Facebook users to get used to Microsoft Office software, and then they will more willing to purchase software from store. Cheng reminded that this young generation who grow up together with the network may not be familiar with office software.

Perhaps through the Docs for Facebook, the younger generation will accept the Office 2010 systems.

Edited By Henry Lu

Before May 9, Microsoft have confirm that Windows XP operating system will not be able to use its next-generation web browser Internet Explorer 9 (IE9), as IE9 is Microsoft’s first Web browser build with next-generation HTML5 technology, so if Windows XP users do not upgrade to Vista or Window 7, they cannot experience new HTML5 technology of IE9.

Currently being held in U.S. on the Web 2.0 conference, Microsoft’s Web technology Advocate Giorgio Sardo once again said clearly that: “IE9 will not support Windows XP operating system. We built the entire HTML5 technology base on the hardware acceleration; therefore, it needs higher version of the operating system to meet this requirement.

Many major web browser developers have noted that Microsoft’s move will make most of users can not enjoy the benefits of HTML5 technology, such as free plug-in video player, offline storage and other outstanding features.

Google Chrome plug-in developers and development tools, Dojo founder Alex Russel said that: “Opera, Mozilla Firefox and Chrome all use hardware acceleration, and are completed on XP OS,” so Microsoft’s argument is completely baseless.

A Yahoo senior Java Script architect gives a very direct solution: “I suggest that all XP users to download and use non-IE web browsers.”

Edited By Henry Lu

Apple has officially released iPhone OS 4 with more than 100 new features and applications. CEO Steve Jobs announced that Apple plans to launch it in this summer for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad operating system and developers can download the beta version form Apple’s Web site.

OS 4 contains over 100 new features. The most important thing is the multi-task function to switch between multiple applications. This is the most anticipated features of the iPhone user and it makes Apple to catch up other competitors like Palm’s WebOS, Nokia S60, Research in Motion’s BlackBerry OS, and Google’s Android OS.

iPhone users can just open multi-task columns to switch between applications or the main screen and Apple said that iPhone performance will not be affected.

iPhone developers can also access 7 other multi-task functions, each of them has different application scenarios. For example, open stream music while implementation of other applications. Other services are the Internet phone calls, and to apply to the use of applied computing base station geo-locating system which is the less power-hungry than traditional GPS.

Other enhancements included the notification of message services and local notification services, so developers can write applications, to send notification from non-Apple server.

iPhone OS 4 other new features like drag and drop the application to the data box, and browse 2,160 supported applications. In addition, Apple also strengthen the iPhone mail client software, you can use single mailbox with multiple email accounts to send letters, organize messages, and open the attached file in the third-party applications.

Apple also joined the iBook eBook Reader software, you can purchase and download from Apple iBookstore book.

For enterprise, iPhone OS 4 enhanced security features, use of cell phone security code as the message and attachment encryption key. There is also a new data protection functions and customer and commercial applications can be integrated with it. Apple also added SSL-VPN connection function.

iPhone OS 4 is executable on the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and 2,3-generation iPod Touch, but not all features are available for older hardware. For example, the implementation of the Multi-task function is only available for iPhone 3GS and 3rd generation iPod Touch.

Apple will also launch mobile web advertising platform called “iAd”. The platform combines “TV emotions and web interactive” ads. This is for advertisers to provide highly accurate advertising channels.

Apple relased iPhone OS 4 before his rivals Microsoft. Microsoft is expected to launch Window Phone 7 before the Christmas holiday.

Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC, HP, Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm have said they would launch phone with Windows Phone 7. In addition, carriers such as AT & T, Deutsche Telekom, Sprint, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, and Telstra have also become an ally of Windows Phone 7.

Edited By Henry Lu

Experts predict that social network with geo-positioning services will be the future trend, and this market war will be participated by Google, Facebook and Apple. However, Microsoft Not to be outdone and announced the new integration of Bing search engine, maps and Foursquare social services, foursquare map applications, intended to john this battle.

Foursquare is currently supporting iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, and Plam WebOS platform to urban social services to find friends. Mobile phone users can set their own jurisdictions, and paste a variety of labels to describe this area or to provide restaurant reviews, when a user log in a particular region, the system will automatically advise whether there is a friend recommended a nearby restaurants or services.

And Microsoft Integration Bing and map services to build a Map Apps functions and lets Bing use third-party information provided by the industry to develop a foursquare map applications which will be on-line soon this year. Microsoft said that with Bing foursquare map, users can easily get more local information and to know the recommendation of the local people, and also can interact with the online users in this area.

Many people already familiar with the Google Maps functionality, and now Google is promoting Latitude plan, which based on the Google Maps platform to allow users and friends to share their current location. Google recently launched Buzz social services that allows users to display their location, and it plan to upgrade to with geo-positioning services of Google very soon.

In addition, according to foreign reports, Apple determines to become the geographical location-based services handset developers, and It already applied patent application for a social networking service called iGroups, so that iPhone and other mobile devices can be linked, and provide real-time information sharing.

How is Facebook then? Ericsson (Erricson) survey shows that 60 countries worldwide and more than 200 mobile system operators are actively promoting market of Facebook mobile products; the same time, there are more than 100 million online users are through their mobile devices to use the Facebook services.

Edited By Henry Lu

With the booming Internet marketing and e-commerce, the web design is beginning to emphasise visual, interactive technology, and hence the RIA ( Rich Internet Applications ), the new web design techniques, become the hot topic. In order to grab this business opportunity, Microsoft has also launched a new generation of RIA product, Silverlight 3.0 and stressed that it would allow Internet users have a better interactive experience.

Compared to the traditional HTML web design technologies, RIA uses vector-style animation, multimedia and database integration, to make the website has computer desktop use patterns and functions, hence allows the integration of multi-media Web site content, and improve the visitors loyalty with more intuitive, more friendly, more interactive use experience. “Website interface and content design is from simple text-and image-based rendering and go to the era of RIA rapidly” said from Microsoft’s develop team.

RIA’s technology characteristics, not only suitable for applications in entertainment, leisure and marketing fields, but also recently used in general business applications, so there are more and more enterprises are beginning to use the RIA technologies to develop the various services. For example, the United States Continental Airlines, uses RIA technologies to develop a customer service and reservation system to process booking enquiry from 70000 customers every day, and significantly enhance the efficiency of booking and customer satisfaction.

As the bullish prospects on RIA technologies, Microsoft developed RIA design tools, Silverlight, two years ago. Now there are 400 million computers around the world have downloaded and installed Silverlight. Microsoft has also released the latest version of Silverlight 3.0, in addition to supporting HD 1080P high-definition video and off-line implementation; it also supports Windows 7 multi-touch features. Microsoft develop team believes that in the future, Internet-based media, financial institutions, as well as electronic billboards, will be the RIA’s main market.

Edited By Henry Lu

Through many negotiations, Microsoft and Yahoo announced a number of cooperation in the search engine market. Yahoo will use Microsoft technology for all its search engine assets, while it is also responsible for online ads sales for both side platform. From this 10 years co-operation, Microsoft can exclusively access to Yahoo search engine license, and Microsoft can also integrate yahoo technology with its own.

From Revenue-sharing agreement based on the two sides, Microsoft will pay Yahoo for the traffic generated by Yahoo Website; Yahoo is expected to increase 500 million U.S. dollars annual revenue and cash flow of 275 million U.S. dollars, while saving 200 million capital expenditure.

“The cooperation will benefit our clients and industry greatly” Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz said in a statement. “I believe this cooperation laid the foundation for innovation and development of the Internet into a new era” Bartz said.

Microsoft and Yahoo have more than a year to discuss cooperation, at beginning Microsoft plan to buy Yahoo, and this request was refused by Yahoo’s CEO Jerry Yang. However Jerry Yang was been removed from the board of director and replaced by Bartz, hence triggered this negotiation for cooperation.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also commended the cooperation between the two sides will benefit Microsoft’s new search engine www. Bing.com and great opportunity to challenge current top 1 search engine giant, Google.

“Through the cooperation with Yahoo, we will be able to develop more innovative search technology to benefit our advertisers, and also to provide more market choose for consumers beside Google.” Ballmer said.

“The success of search engine businesses needs innovations and users scale, our search platform www.Bing.com provides a breakthrough innovation. And the cooperation with yahoo will provide the scale we need for the rapid development on relevance and the availability”

Based on ComScore’s survey, Google currently holds the 65% of search engine market in US, Microsoft only has 8% and Yahoo has 20%.

Edited By Henry Lu

IT industry testing released the report says the growth rate of Microsoft search engine Bing.com already run ahead of rivals since his launch on May this year.

Microsoft new search engine provides many search services. According to data released by Hitwise showed that, the growth rate of Bing.com reached 25 percent in June. But however, its
U.S. market share is still only 5.25 percent.

This new search engine attracts the close attention of media. Microsoft plan to spend 100 million U.S. dollars to promote Bing.com, and intends to take the territory from Google, the current number one search engine company.

However, Google still remains the dominant position of the U.S. market with 74 percent market share. Yahoo still has the second largest market share of 16%. Ask.com has fourth place with 3.2 percent market share.

Analysts said that, the growth rate of Bing.com is faster than the other three well-known search engine companies. And Microsoft hopes Bing.com can grab more market for online ads.

On Thursday’s stock trading, Microsoft shares fell to 22.44 U.S. dollars. And Google rose 2% to 410.39 U.S. dollars.

Edited By Henry Lu

CIO Insight- The well known IT magazine in US, Selected 10 best software companies of year 2008 according to its company value, product reliability and product loyalty.

In 2008, the rank of many traditional software companies dropped, from the recent statistics, Google is the number 1 software company in 2008 and its competitor, Microsoft, fall to Number 7.
Following are the list of these 10 companies from CIO Insight:

Number 1: Google- Overall Score: 81
Company value: 82
Product reliability: 79
Product loyalty: 83
Google continued innovation and strong moves in the mobility space succeeded in knocking Red Hat out of the top spot.

Number 2: Red Hat– Overall Score: 79
Company value: 75
Product reliability: 75
Product loyalty: 92
Last year overall winner remains strong, its ratings this year, with the responsiveness to needs of customers engendering high loyalty levels.

Number 3: Citrix– Overall Score: 73
Company value: 73
Product reliability: 73
Product loyalty: 89
Citrix held steady at No. 3 just edging out Adobe, but failed to rank in the top two, as it did in 2006 and 2005.

Number 4: Adobe- Overall Score: 72
Company value: 72
Product reliability: 73
Product loyalty: 93
Adobe just missed moving into the top three, but took home the highest loyalty rankings of any software vendor (besides Google).

Number 5: Novell- Overall Score: 65
Company value: 63
Product reliability: 67
Product loyalty: 72
Novell raised four spots from last year but low customer loyalty scores bogged the firm down in this year rankings.

Number 6: Salesforce- Overall Score: 62
Company value: 62
Product reliability: 62
Product loyalty: 86
A new entry to the list, the Software-as-a-Service forerunner showed average performance in value and reliability but got a big boost from strong customer loyalty.

Number 7: Microsoft- Overall Score: 61
Company value: 61
Product reliability: 61
Product loyalty: 83
The same goes for the software behemoth- solid customer loyalty helped keep it hovering around the same spot as last year and fended off others.

Number 8: Cognos- Overall Score: 60
Company value: 60
Product reliability: 60
Product loyalty: 78
The business intelligence vendor leapt four spots to regain its 2005 footing, but it still faces an uphill climb to reach the highest tier of software providers.

Number 9: Business Object (SAP)- Overall Score: 59
Company value: 61
Product reliability: 57
Product loyalty: 82
Business Objects has steadily slipped from its 2005 perch as No. 3 in the software market but just missed eclipsing rival Cognos this year.

Number 10: Oracle- Overall Score: 57
Company value: 56
Product reliability: 59
Product loyalty: 80
Larry Ellison’s acquisition machine kept humming this year, but a poor showing in value just barely kept Oracle in the Top 10.

Edited By Henry Lu